The Blood Moon Twins
Chapter 123

CAULDER

Today was a day of clean up and recovery. For the lives lost on the battlefield yesterday, we were going to have a memorial service in the next couple of days. A team was sent to inspect the bunker to make sure there were no vampires there and no more wolfsbane. There was no evidence of the vampires there, so it was planned that the bunker would be destroyed, so no one else could use it against the pack.

There was a sense of relief mixed with sadness spreading through the pack. Now that Draven had cleared the area, my father decided it was best to let everyone return to their homes with certain restrictions, like a strict curfew. After the losses we faced, the pack needed to feel a sense of normalcy, at least for a little bit. Draven was sure to come back, especially if Remy's vision was true, but we could afford a little leniency now that the enemy wasn't knocking on our doorstep.

A little before lunch, my father had approached me, letting me know he was going to talk to Julie to see if she had any useful information about Draven, and he invited me to go along.

I walked into the holding cell with my father. Julie sat on the opposite side of the little table with her hands restrained. Her head hung low, so her hair was sitting like a curtain in front of her face. She was defeated and desolate. The room smelled of her desperation. I wasn't sure if we would get the answers we came for today, but I needed to talk to her. As terrible as she was, I didn't fully understand why she would go this far.

My father and I sat on the opposite side of the table, and he placed a water bottle next to her. Julie had been locked up since the incident, waiting for when we could make time to determine her sentencing.

This wasn't a matter we had gone over in any of my alpha trainings before, because it wasn't a situation my father thought would ever happen, so I let him take the lead here, curious to see how he would handle a traitor in the pack.

"Julie, you have committed several crimes against this pack, including k********g and treason. What do you have to say for yourself?" he began.

Julie didn't respond. She kept her head hanging low, barely moving. If it wasn't for the subtle movement in her chest, I would have thought she was dead.

"We have to decide your fate today," my father continued. "Do you have anything to say to defend yourself? If there was a good reason-"

Julie lifted her head, and her bloodshot eyes made her look even more crazed. "He asked me to do it."

"Draven?" I asked. Based on what Harper and Remy told us about what happened, I already knew the answer, but I wanted Julie to admit it.

"I needed to prove myself, so he would love me," Julie said, ignoring my question. "Do whatever you want to me, because it doesn't matter. I proved myself, so he's going to come for me. He loves me."

"You don't know this man," my father said. "You have been with this pack your entire life, and you turned on us just because of a vampire you met?"

"He's my mate!" Julie screamed. "He loves me!"

When Harper said Julie had cracked, I hadn't imagined this. She was broken and delusional. She couldn't see the truth behind what had really happened.

"He used you to get to Remy, and then he left you behind. If he truly cared about you, he wouldn't have left you here," I said. "Remy risked her life to save yours, even with all of your shitty behavior, and this is how you decided to return the favor?" Julie quieted, and it made me think that she knew everything I was saying was true.

"For the safety of the pack, you will no longer be considered a member of the pack," my father said after a moment. "We will have to decide what to do with you exactly, but your connection with the pack is hereby severed."

"He loves me. He'll come for me," she whispered, letting her head fall forward again. Tears started pouring out of her eyes, and big droplets fell onto the table.

She knew the truth. Draven would never love her or come for her, but she knew she had destroyed her life, so she was holding onto the delusion, because it was the only thing that could comfort her at this point.

"Put her in one of the cells," my father ordered the guard hanging out in the corner of the room. "Maximum security."

The guard grabbed Julie and took her out of the room. Julie didn't fight against it and calmly went with him. Once she was out of the room, my father leaned back in his chair and ran his hands over his face. The decision to kick Julie out of the pack wasn't an easy one for him to make.

"She was too young. She barely had time to enjoy life just to throw it away like that," he said.

"She was old enough to know better," I said. Julie had never been a nice person. She was a bully in school, and she acted like she deserved whatever she wanted. She even tried to break Harper and me up out of jealousy. I had no sympathy for her. She knew that k********g and working with the enemy was wrong, and she still chose to go that route.

"Perhaps," my father said, standing up. "But at your age, the biggest thing you are missing is life experience. On top of that, she was mated to a heartless man. It seems like the world was against her a little."

"That's still no excuse for her behavior," I said. I knew I could never forgive Julie for what she had done. Remy and Harper were almost taken away from us permanently because of her actions. No matter how young she was, it wasn't an excuse for her actions. "No, it's not, which is why she is being kicked out of the pack. It's still sad to see someone so young throw their life away." He looked tired and worn out and motioned for me to follow him out of his room. When he opened the door to leave, I was surprised to see Remy standing there.

"Aren't you supposed to be under medical supervision?" my father asked, looking down at her.

Remy shook her head. "Doctor Zayla released me not too long ago. I heard you guys were talking to Julie. Can I talk to her?" She was chewing on her lip and looking up at my father.

"Why would you want to talk to her?" I asked. If someone had tried to pull the same thing on me, I would have never wanted to see them again.

"I want to make sure she's okay," Remy said. "She looked so lonely and broken at Draven's hideout."

"You mean when she tried to kill you and Harper?" I especially didn't want Remy or Harper near Julie, even if Julie was in custody. I didn't trust her, and I wasn't about to risk their lives for someone who had some sort of mental breakdown. "You weren't there. You don't understand." Remy seemed tense, and I didn't understand why she was fighting against this. She of all people should have understood why Julie was a bad person.

"We can talk about this more later, but I see Julie's parents coming towards me, and I don't think either of you should be present during that conversation," my father said. He made eye contact with me, and I knew he didn't care if I was there, but he didn't want Remy present. Julie's parents were upset, and there was a chance they would say something about Remy in the discussion.

"Where's Blade?" I asked, trying to distract Remy as our father walked away.

"Why doesn't he want me around while he talks to Julie's parents?" Remy instantly asked. When I hesitated to answer, she continued, "Please don't play dumb. I saw that look you two exchanged. Dad was practically begging you to get me out of here. Don't start keeping secrets with me now, just because I was kidnapped. I'm not that fragile."

I pulled my lips tight. The intent wasn't to keep secrets from her, but I understood why she would jump to that conclusion.

"Look, Julie's parents are not going to be happy about Julie getting kicked out of the pack," I started.

"She's getting kicked out?" Remy asked, looking genuinely shocked.

"Did you really think she could stay in the pack after k********g the alpha's daughter? I don't understand why you are so quick to defend her." Normally I understood where Remy was coming from, but this just felt like complete madness.

"I'm not coming to her defense. I know what she did was wrong." Her voice had quieted, and I knew there was more she wasn't saying.

"Then why are you so worried about her? Please try to help me understand."

Remy had never been a fan of Julie, even before all of this happened, which was what made all of this that much more confusing. She was always caring and wanted what was best for the pack, but I refused to believe that was why she was so worried about Julie. "Julie is mated with a vampire, and vampires don't have mates. She was unlucky that her mate is one of the worst beings on this planet. I got lucky with Blade, but it could have been me in that position, desperate for a mate, desperate for someone to love me." Remy started playing with a piece of hair.

Suddenly, it all made sense. "Two things. One, even if Blade had been like Draven, you would have never kidnapped and attempted to murder anyone, especially someone from this pack. Two, Blade is a sorcerer. Sorcerers have soulmates, and I would bet that you are his. Didn't he say that he felt this unusual pull towards you when you first met? That sounds a lot like a mate bond."

Remy started laughing. It was just a soft chuckle at first, and then she started folding over from laughing so much. She was starting to seem like the crazy one. "I never thought about that," she said, catching her breath. "I don't know why. I just thought..." She cleared her throat and looked at me directly. "You're right. I think I was projecting my fears onto her, and I felt bad for her. I still feel bad for her, honestly. Her mistakes are getting her kicked out of the pack, and becoming a rogue wolf is a rough thing."

I understood her worry, but I didn't feel the slightest bit concerned about Julie. She had crossed too many lines and deserved to lose her pack. She had never been an active member of the pack, anyway. "That's the kind of decisions that need to be made as the pack leader, unfortunately."

"About that," Remy began. "Can we talk?"