Rejecting, Your Broken Promises
Chapter 38

Peyton’s POV

Ever Green Pack

I was sitting right next to Percy, snuggled right into his side after dinner, when dad mentioned that he needed to speak to me about something. We were all at the same end of the table, so I told him to go ahead. I don’t have any secrets, and I haven’t hidden anything from Percy, so I am OK with dad mentioning it in front of the group.

“Are you sure, Peyton?” You might want to do this in the office, to at least have time to think about what your answer might be. I have mentioned it before, over the phone” my dad tells me, and I suddenly stiffen up and know what he is going to say.

“Did you get another call from B***d Claw?” I asked him.

“Yes, Timothy called to tell me that Alpha James had not been eating since you had left and was literally wasting away due to being so upset that he had punished an innocent person. He was sick about it and wants to give you an apology. Either, in person, which is what Alpha James wants to do, or over the phone. Apparently, Alpha James is fine with his punishment, whatever it may be, and just wants to meet the Goddess after making it right with you. From the sounds of it, Alpha James may not make it too much further, so I am thinking that we can go early, as soon as the council makes their final decision, for me to carry it out” dad tells me, and I nod once and am deep in thought.

I will need to speak to a few people before I make my decision here. I know where my heart lies in this, and I want to forgive him. I know that is surprising, but I knew how much he loved and doted on Luna Tori. She was a wonderful woman and I just need to confirm with a few people what I know to be true in my heart. I feel like I would die without Percy. He is my world, and Alpha James was not like he is now, back when she was here with him. He did break that day, but the abuse didn’t start until after Fallon started it. Yes, he did hit me that day, but he honestly thought I was lying about the men not being rogues. He was so upset, that he never went to check them and smell them himself. He was so overcome by grief he wanted them punished, but since they were dead, he could do nothing but burn their bodies.

I will make it quick, but I will start the ball rolling now. No time like the present. I voice my thoughts on what I was thinking, and I feel Percy pulling me onto his lap and sniffing my neck. He is upset by me even thinking about going back there. I know that he has a BIG problem with Timothy. But Timothy, as far as I was concerned, didn’t even fit into this equation. He didn’t concern me anymore. What he did, leaving me there to be tormented and abused, when he KNEW he was my mate made him as low as a snake, and I am so glad I am not shackled down with him.

“Now, I am just saying this so you all know what I am thinking concerning this. My thought process is this, Alpha James was a good man when I was first there at B***d Claw. He was kind and generous, and a pretty good Alpha. Losing Luna Tori was where the change happened. I do believe that he was led to make the choices he did. The person was wrapped in innocence, or so he thought, and never even suspected that she had an agenda. She was abusing me, long before he did. I do believe what he is saying. I believe I would die losing Percy. I love him so much, and if he were to be taken away from me, it would hurt me to my core” I said and looked around to see all of the mated couples at the table looking at their mate. They all smiled and some kissed as they did this. There it is, my point exactly.

“See, you all just kind of proved my point. The mate bond was created to keep us all connected with and to our mate. It is there to help calm us when we are at our worst and to help build us up when we are at our most weak. I want you to each, please think about it, and what you think that you would do to the person who you truly believed in your heart had helped to kill your mate” I finished up and looked around the table. There were a lot of stunned faces, and contemplative looks going around. I see that the ones that I respected the most, my father and Alpha Heath, were the ones who got where I was going the quickest. They knew without a doubt that if they had been in the same situation, they would have probably killed the guilty party right then and there. Percy growled low, but I could see he was there too. I believe that he would indeed avenge me if I were hurt or killed.

“You are too forgiving a person Peyton. I do not like the idea of you going there to see him. Not only because I don’t trust Alpha James, but because I know Timothy. He still wants you, and if he knows that we are coming, I am positive that he will be planning something to try to lure you back. They have arrested Fallon and she is in the cells right now. I am quite sure that she is getting exactly what she deserves now, but to me, it is too little, too late. You had to endure this for 6 years. Six years of hell, no apology can make up for that” Percy said, and I can see his emotions swimming in his eyes. He wants to defend me and take care of me, but I am fine, I survived it and it is my decision. I cupped his face with my hands and gave him a k**s. I wanted to both calm him and make sure that he knew I was fine. My therapy has been going very well. And I haven’t had a nightmare in the last several days.

“Percy, it is you that I love, and you that bears my mark. Remember, he will see us together, and my mark on you, as well as your mark on me. It will be fine. He will not be getting me back, no matter what he plans to do” I told him.

“I agree with Peyton. She needs to finish this. To show them all that they thought she was broken, but here she is, stronger than ever. Plus, you went by another name there. You can do two birds with one stone while you are there. You can accept Timothy’s rejection with your birth name. Believe me, you will need to do that too. I also agree with what Percy just said too. We do NOT need to let them know that we are coming, or when we are coming. We can get with the werewolf council today and see if they have come to an agreement on the punishment, and if they have, we can get up a plan of attack. We can go as early as next week. It will be a week and a half early at that point, but I would like this to be over with and behind us as soon as possible” Heath tells the group.

King Sebastian nods his head at what Heath said, “Yes, I think that would be best as well. I will go call the council now, to see if they have given their judgment yet on what they will be doing to Alpha James and Fallon. She does not get any kind of pass. She may not know known who she was talking to, but she had an intention in her when she went to them to look at the picture they had of Peyton. She wanted Peyton gone, and out of her way, so she told them where she was. That was something that Timothy told me when he called the first time. Fallon wanted Peyton gone, losing the Luna was just an unfortunate accident. Plus, she started putting ideas of abuse into Alpha James’ head when he was overcome with grief. He was ripe for the picking on her part, and she is very crafty. I think her being taken care of, sooner than later, is the best course of action. Alpha James may just get life imprisonment, but Fallon should be put to death for her petty actions”.

“Dad, I would like to go with you when you call them. I would like to speak to them too, in Alpha James’ defense” I told him, and I felt Percy’s arms band against me tightly. I squirm a little and then lean down to k**s his forehead and then tell him, “I believe that Fallon made all the decisions behind the scenes. I remember how he was after losing Luna Tori. He was a mess. He wasn’t showering or bathing. His hair was a mess. He would wear the same outfit for days. He was not in his right state of mind, and she knew that when she started this. She started abusing me the very next day after we lost Luna Tori. I know she was young at the time, but she is a vicious person, you have no idea how devious she really is. Alpha James was truly lost without his Luna. I have put a lot of thought into this, I feel like the Goddess is pushing me to this decision. She knows his heart too, and I think he was just out of his mind with grief and thought he was punishing the right individual” I told him.

“Peyton, you are wise well beyond your years dear. I believe that you will be an excellent Luna. Your willingness to listen to what the Goddess is showing you shows just how connected you are to her, and how close your bond is with her. I could not be more proud to have you as my replacement here at Ever Green” Von tells me and Heath smiles down at her.

“I only hope to live up to your words, and your faith in me. Ever Green has never had a Luna who cared as much for her people as you do. I will supplicate to the council for Alpha James. I will also be asking that the council give her the maximum punishment” I said and then got up and looked over at my dad. “Can we go call them now? I would like to do this quickly, so they can make their decision promptly” I said to dad, and he nodded and got up from his seat.

“Yes, we can do this now. Heath, can we use your office for about 10 minutes?” my dad asked Alpha Heath.

“Yes, please do. I agree with Peyton. I knew Alpha James, and he was a good Alpha that doted on his wife. I knew he had a breakdown after losing her, but I would never have thought that he would injure an innocent” Heath told my dad.

Percy gets up behind me, and my mom and brothers get up as well. “You know you all don’t have to go with me. Dad and I can handle this together” I told them.

“You will never be alone again, especially in the tough times Peyton” Christian said, and Amanda got up from her chair, slid her hand into his, and gave me a mega-watt smile.

“I love you all too. Let’s go get this over with” I told them, and we all headed upstairs. I felt a little nervous about what I was going to do, but I think I was making the right decision here. Timothy was immature and needed a few more years before he was given his turn as the Alpha of B***d Claw. Maybe Alpha James can use the next few years to help him get a firm grasp of what all he needed to do. Timothy can also use some of that time looking for his second chance mate if he gets one. After what he did to me, I have a feeling that he will not be getting blessed by her again. I would hate to condemn the whole pack to Timothy being their Alpha at this time. He is genuinely not ready if what I saw the Friday night that he rejected me is anything to go by.

Dad sat behind the desk and mom dropped onto his lap, I can tell dad is a little stressed as he needs to get this all behind us, and he wants it done. He got on the phone and called the werewolf council. Dad leans into mom and inhales deeply while it rings on speakerphone for the group. I guess he is more stressed than I thought he was. I hate that he still feels guilty about this, but this boils down to two people at fault. Jasper, and Fallon, no one else needs to feel guilt over how this played out.

The phone is answered by the head of the werewolf council, Anthony Miller. “You caught us just in time Heath, we were all about to leave for the weekend, my friend” rings out across the office.

“Anthony, it is Sebastian Hunt. I am calling you from Ever Green, about my case against B***d Claw. I have my daughter here with me, as well as my wife, my sons, and Percy Wright, Peyton’s mate. Peyton wanted to speak with you as she has had a request for her to come to the B***d Claw pack, for Alpha James to be able to apologize to her for the events that happened while she was there” my father told him.

“I was actually going to call you Monday with our decision Sebastian. We had just voted on this about 20 minutes ago. We have reached our decision already. You are good to go with death being the decided punishment for both of them” Councilman Miller replied.

“Sir, if I could. I would like to speak on behalf of Alpha James if you would let me. Are the rest of the councilmen there as well? Can I speak to you all at the same time?” I asked him.

“They are still here, I just summoned them back into the office, they are entering now, and you are now able to be heard by all 5 of us. I just want you to know that this is a rare occasion, as usually when we have come to a decision, it is final. It would be unprecedented for our ruling to be changed. But I can tell you wanted to say something to us about it. Go ahead and tell us what you wanted to say Peyton” Councilman Miller told me over the phone, and I take a deep breath before I begin to try to change the outcome for Alpha James.