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

Daxius POV

Daxius coughed as a cloud of dust billowed out of the cabinet he'd just opened in Melisande's study. "Have you found anything?"

Marieke's voice drifted from the other side of the room. "Nothing yet. It would have been far simpler to look for the keys to the silver chains."

"You'd think that in such a remote place with so many rogues under her control, Melisande would be a little less paranoid."

"I think she was born that way," Marieke commented. 

Daxius took one item at a time out of the cabinet, noting where everything was so he could put it all back the way he found it. All kinds of magical artifacts littered the ground. Orbs, of course. A helmet from which he got a strange and unsettling feeling. A creepy-faced porcelain doll dressed in a witch robe. A magical lantern that also gave him an unsettling feeling. An alabaster and petrified wood statuette of a wolf-faced man leaning on a staff. It looked fierce and noble. 

When he got to the lowest shelf, he discovered a locked drawer with a small keyhole. "Marieke, look in the desk drawer for a small key," he called out. 

Rummaging through the desk drawer, Marieke pulled out a bunch of assorted keys and took them over. Daxius examined them, chuckling softly at a memory.

"If there's something remotely funny about this situation, share it with me. I could use a laugh," she commented.

He met her eyes. "I dropped my key from Wildefell in the Evenhide Pack lands when I was spying on Ravyn. It's what led her to me–and led all of us here."

Marieke chewed on her upper lip. "The way you described her, I thought she was an unapproachable witch. Intimidating."

He tried one key. Nothing. He tried another. No. 

"And what do you think now?" he asked.

"I think that description fits Melisande more. Ravyn is all about her family, her packs, and her magic, in that order." Marieke hesitated. "She's also ridiculously beautiful, charming, and intelligent."

The third key didn't work. Frustrated, Jude took his time selecting the next one to try. "YOU are the most beautiful to me, Marieke, after everything we've shared."

She beamed. "Truly?"

"Truly. I knew my feelings for Ravyn had changed, but I didn't know how much until I saw her together with Jude."

The key turned in the lock. CLICK. 

With building excitement, Marieke whispered, "Open it!"

Daxius pulled the drawer open and gasped at what he'd discovered. "Marieke … look at this."

Marieke pulled out a ring made of obsidian with a fire ruby set in it. "It looks like something you don't want to mess with."

"This is a Ring of Control," Daxius muttered. "It's used when a departed spirit, usually a wizard or witch, has possessed someone else's body. Melisande isn't who she claims to be. We have to tell Dane, Lilia, and Ravyn right away."

* * * * *

Melisande POV

Jude's nose and his senses indicated that there weren't any more soldiers around. He moved with grace and power through the thick forest. Hades/Melisande admired his strength and stealth. What a triumph, bending him to the will of the Dark Goddess! The Alpha of the Silverpaw Pack was his to control.

After circling the blood-soaked battlefield, then prowling around in the surrounding forest, Jude returned and howled to sound the all-clear. He shifted, standing naked and alluring in the moonlight. Once, Hades would have seduced him–or encouraged one of his other followers to do so.

Hades/Melisande asked, "You're quite certain there are no humans around?"

"There may be some on the other side of the island, but if so, I doubt they'll dare to challenge us anytime soon," Jude said in a neutral voice.

Us. Hades/Melisande liked the sound of that. Jude could be his new second-in-command. 

His new Cyran without the betrayal.

But like Cyran, Jude had strong family ties. His mate. His children. The Crestas. Would they work against Hades, the way that Cyran's loyalty to his sister had?

"Your new son-in-law, your mate, and your new … daughter … are most distressed by you sticking by me," Melisande said. 

"They'll understand in time," Jude said in a smooth voice. 

Without warning, Melisande twirled the powerful staff, and a whirlwind swept Jude off his feet and kept him spinning in the air!

"You ARE loyal, aren't you?" Melisande questioned in a haughty voice. "Because if you're playing me false, your family will suffer. Especially your mate."

Jude bared his teeth. "I'm here serving you, aren't I? Despite my family's pleas not to, I remain your humble servant."

"Pretty words, but I've heard them before," Hades/Melisande sneered.

"What can I do to prove my loyalty?"

Hades/Melisande paused, seeing, in Jude's place, golden Cyran pledging his faithfulness when he returned to the Children of Hades with treachery in his heart. 

* * * * *

THREE YEARS AGO

Hades enfolded Cyran in his embrace. "Welcome home," he whispered.

Cyran relaxed. "Master," he said loudly for all to hear. "My true master."

The crowd loved that and cheered loud enough to drown out Hades' thoughts.

Once they parted, Cyran lowered his head. "I've disappointed you, Master."

"Only because others led you astray from the true path," Hades said with compassion. "You doubted your own greatness. But perhaps your misstep can serve a greater purpose. It can teach us much as we seek to become worthy of the true goddess–who told me that you would return to the fold."

Cyran's eyes flared with hope and fear. "I want to learn from my mistakes. To become worthy in her eyes, and in yours."

* * * * *

In the present, Hades shook his head, and said in Melisande's voice, "I've been fooled by grand gestures before. Just continue to serve me without question, without hesitation, and be willing to give yourself to the cause."

"Yes, Master."

Hades/Melisande yawned. Maintaining this body was difficult. He needed to recharge his strength with the Ring of Control. "Come, my servant, we must return."

"May I suggest we check on the prisoners when we do?" Jude asked.

"Excellent idea." Hades could wait to retrieve the ring. The prisoners must be secured.

Jude shifted into his wolf body, which made Melisande shudder with envy, wanting to feel the wolf fur and see through wolf eyes. The Dark Goddess had promised that Hades would enjoy one last romp in wolf form before his release. 

Melisande/Hades meant to hold the dark deity to that promise.

* * * * *

Ravyn POV

"Better?" Ravyn held a bottle of water to Dane's lips while Lilia cuddled him. 

Dane coughed and drank some more water. "Well, I'm not dying. I won't feel 'better' until my paws touch the sweet grass of home."

Lilia grimaced, stroking his arms, which were beginning to look less frightening. The skin seemed to be turning from burned to healthy, but not fast enough for Lilia. "I agree. I miss our pups and our pack more than I thought was possible."

Ravyn gave them a tender look. "Trust Jude and Daxius."

"I do, it's the others I don't trust," Dane said with a sour face.

Shaking her head, Ravyn said, "I have a feeling Marieke was coerced. We shouldn't be so quick to judge her."

"Maybe if my wounds were better and whatever concoction Melisande force-fed Lilia was out of her system, I'd be more forgiving," Dane commented. "Any chance we can risk sneaking off to the lab?"

"Do you have the strength?" Lilia asked anxiously. "Mother and I can go ourselves."

Dane grimaced, and pushed himself up off the floor. "If the room will cooperate and not spin crazily, I think I can make it. Besides, Jiro was hit with silver three years ago and managed to stand up and stop a civil war. I'm not letting my baby brother outdo me as an Alpha."

Ravyn rolled her eyes. "You WOULD make this into a competition."

"He would," Lilia affirmed. "Although Jiro never misses the chance to lord the Crimsontails' success over Dane."

Love and pride shone in Dane's eyes, and he stood straighter. "Considering the way he managed to turn them around in just a short time, I'm not that annoyed. Let's get to the lab."

"Hold on," Ravyn said, feeling Dane's muscles tremble like the earth as she supported him. "Perhaps you should stay here to explain away our absence."

"Mother has a point," Lilia murmured. "I doubt we can go wandering around by ourselves wherever we want."

Knock! Knock!

Dane lowered himself to the ground, and Ravyn and Lilia joined him. "I'm just sitting up because I'm feeling better," Dane murmured.

"Come in," Ravyn called out in a strong voice.

A hooded rogue entered with a tray of food with a covered dish and closed the door behind him. In a high squeaky voice, he said, "I brought dinner as the master ordered. Eat hearty, you scum. We're feeling generous."

Ravyn had a wry expression. "Charming."

The servant approached and dumped the tray in Dane's lap. Obediently, Dane removed the cover of the dish and gasped when he saw three large vials of healing potion. 

Ravyn, Lilia, and Dane wasted no time in drinking every drop, then looked up at the servant, whose features Ravyn couldn't make out. "Thank you!"

Pushing back the hood, Patch grinned down at them. Ravyn had never been so happy to see her next-to-youngest son. "Of all the people who would be sitting around waiting for rescue–"

"Go jump in the sea, pup," Dane growled. 

"If we were here on holiday, gladly." Patch smirked even more. "From your usual Alpha attitude, I gather the 'Master' didn't torment you too badly."

Dane jerked his thumb at the silver chains attached to the wall. "It's hardly been a holiday, as you say."

Patch's brown eyes narrowed sharply. "Oh, wait until the love of my life and I get our hands on her. Speaking of which …"

He darted to the door and opened it, beckoning someone. Anneliese dashed in and helped Lilia up, hugging her so hard she cried out. "You're alright! I knew you would be."

"Never better now that you're here, both of you." Lilia hugged her. "How did you–"

"Long story. Tell you about it when we're all together," Patch asserted. "We all owe Duffy–a man after my own heart. He's off causing mayhem. If you hear vases breaking and things getting knocked down, that's him."

"Maybe he'll have found Jiro and Garnet after they're done saving the humans," Anneliese said with a hopeful expression.

Dane's eyes turned wolf gold. "Humans? What's this about humans?"

Patch and Anneliese pulled their hoods up. "Shhh. Someone's coming," they said together.

The door squeaked open and Melisande marched in with Jude following obediently. "What's the meaning of this?"