Ciara was quiet for so long that I wondered if she’d decided against answering my question after all. Finally, she cleared her throat and started her story. “I thought Vivian was great at first. She was very charming, and I looked up to her. When I was growing up, she was kind to me. I never did figure out what caused her to change…” She paused. “The first time I realized we weren’t true friends was… I guess it during sparring practice.” She looked up, and it was almost like I was watching a light bulb go on in her head. “Vivian didn’t like to spar. She didn’t like any of the fighting. To be honest, neither did I.”
I laughed. “I can’t see you fighting.”
Her cheeks warmed. “I’d say not. But just in case something should happen, every pack member was required to know how to fight. Much like it is here with the Wayfarers, there were always people practicing. But in the Irish pack, it isn’t such a to-do. Those of us who didn’t favor training were assigned classes every other week to make sure we stayed fit enough in case any of us faced a threat from the fey or whatever else might come about.” She sighed. “Well, that day Donovan was actually in the stronghold, so he came by sparring practice. I was fighting John—Donovan’s second—and I was doing pretty well at it, if I may say so.”
“Go you!”
She laughed, clutching her hand to her chest. “I’d been having a row with Theron over something idiotic.” Her laughter drained away, leaving heartbreak in its wake.
“Who’s Theron?” She never talked about her past. It was amazing to finally get some details.
“He was—” Ciara’s eyes welled before she blinked back the tears. “He was my mate. Or he should’ve been.” She cleared her throat, putting an end to that question.
I couldn’t let that go. “You had a mate?”
“Aye. I did. But he’s gone now.” I didn’t even have time to process that bit of information before she rushed on. “Anyhow, I was sparring with John when Donovan stepped in to help. He was correcting my form, standing behind me, guiding my movements. I didn’t think anything of it, and I don’t think Donovan did either, but I caught Vivian’s eye and I’d never seen such hate. It chilled me to the bone. Nothing was the same after that.”
“What do you mean nothing was the same? What happened?” I needed more than just vagueness. I had to be prepared for this woman and whatever was wrong with the Irish pack.
“It was just little things at first. Things that made me think I was losing my mind. My toothbrush would end up in my dresser. Or the book I was reading would go missing. Then, I found another woman’s pants in Theron’s room. We had it out, but he swore up and down that he hadn’t been with anyone else. Our ceremony was a week away, and I was so bloody upset. I stormed off.” She brushed away the tear rolling down her cheek. “It was the last time I saw him. Next thing I knew, my mother was comin’ round to tell me he’d jumped off a cliff.” She shook her head. “But it was madness. Made no sense. I was angry, sure. But a part of me knew—knew—he hadn’t been unfaithful. If I’d had more time, I’d have seen it. The pants didn’t have a scent on them. They were new. Not some leftovers from a forbidden tryst. We would’ve made up. But it was already too late.”
“He jumped off a cliff?” That sounded ridiculous. It was one fight and didn’t sound like it was something he’d kill himself over.
She took a shaky breath. “Heartbroken wolf jumps to death.” She slammed her hand on the desk. “It’s a terrible cliché, and not one Theron would’ve fallen prey to. I didn’t believe it. Not for a second.” Her words were fierce, backed with years of pent up anger. “Vivian was the one who found him. She said she saw it happen, and everyone took her word. But I didn’t trust her for one bloody second. And I was right not to. I saw her leaving Donovan’s room in the matching bra to the pants I found in Theron’s bloody room. She was mocking me. She wanted me to know she’d done it.”
Ciara’s story was too crazy to believe. If it were true, then I felt horrible for her. She’d been tormented by a cruel woman. But I had more questions. So
mething wasn’t adding up for me. “Why would Vivian kill him? And why would she want you to know?” It didn’t make any sense.
“Because she’s mad as a box of frogs. And my best guess for why she killed him? Who am I to know? Maybe she was trying to get back at me for taking a crack onto Donovan? But I wasn’t trying to steal him. I had my own mate. At most, I’ve had a few conversations with Donovan, and he helped correct my form once.” She growled in frustration. Her eyes flashed bright and her nails lengthened, digging into her wooden desk.
Holy shit. Ciara was angry. It was the first time I’d ever seen her wolf slip out, and I’d been kind of a troublemaker growing up. She’d never once lost control. She closed her eyes as she struggled for dominance with her wolf.
I stayed quiet as her nails slowly shortened, and when she finally opened her eyes again, they were a plain brown.
“That’s why I’m telling you this.” Ciara’s words were calm and careful. “For years Vivian has gone around telling people she’s Donovan’s mate, and he hasn’t said a word against it. You’re stepping into a mess.”
A pang of betrayal hit deep. Why wouldn’t Donovan stop her from spreading that around? “Has he promised her anything?” Even as I asked the question, I knew he couldn’t have. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been open to bonding with me. The pairing with her would’ve already started, and that hadn’t happened because he and I had a bond. A Were could only have one romantic bond.
“He must’ve or else he would’ve said something. No one claims to be mated unless it’s true.”
I started pacing back and forth in the small room, trying to think. There was no way Donovan would knowingly let this chick go around calling herself his mate. But if Ciara was telling the truth—and she had no reason to lie to me—then what was going on? It was too absurd. “If she killed your mate just because she saw Donovan helping you…” I spun to her. “I’m his true mate. Not her. How is she going to deal with that?”
“She’s not. That’s why I’m desperately worried for you. You cannot join that pack.”
“There’s no way around it. He’s the other half of my soul. Unless he leaves his pack, which is never going to happen.” I sat in the armchair again, resting my elbows on my knees. “What do I do?”
“I don’t know. But it’s not just Theron she’s killed…”
Wait. What? “What do you mean it’s not just Theron?”
“I don’t have any evidence.” Ciara laughed harshly. “Vivian made sure of that well enough. When my father was murdered, I was devastated, but I didn’t imagine her scent all over my parents’ rooms. It was there. She had an excuse at the ready, but it was bloody convenient.”
Oh God. Her dad?
“When my younger brother was found in pieces… I was sickened. Wracked with grief. I couldn’t even begin… But she was murdering my family, and no one did a fecking thing. Not a damned thing.” Her voice shook as she spoke. Tears of anger and sadness rolled down her face. “When I spoke to Donovan, he dismissed me. Every friend I turned to denied the truth until it was me against her. I was galvanized to keep up what I was doing. I had to make the pack see that Vivian was mad, but she flipped everything I said and made them think I was mad. The harder I tried, the worse off I seemed. And of course, they thought I’d lost my mind. I was making myself crazy trying to find proof of her wrongdoing and ranting at anyone who would listen.” Ciara took a second to catch her breath. “There are some who know of her actions. Who see through her. But they’re not enough. Especially not when Donovan backs her time and again.”
I couldn’t believe that Donovan wouldn’t see through Vivian. Especially if everything that Ciara said was true, and I didn’t doubt her. She wasn’t lying. I’d have been able to smell that on her. There had to be something else at play here. I just didn’t know what, and I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what she was saying. At least not yet.