Enticed (The Brazil Werewolf Series Book 3) (2 page)

“Mary Jane, it will be alright,” Sophia said, trying her best to soothe me. 

I sobbed into my hands for a long time.  When I was able to stop, my chest was aching.  I raised my head and Luc finally released me.  I blinked as I glanced around the bedroom not really seeing anything anymore. 

“Mary Jane, everything will be fine,” Sophia said, softly but the tone in her voice told me that she was trying to convince herself too.

I shook my head, “No, it won’t,” I whispered, “I have no one now.”

“That’s not true,” Sophia whispered, “I realize that you don’t know us but you do have us.  We will protect you and love you.  We are your family too.”

I swallowed over the lump in my throat.  A tremble shook through me as I lowered my head into my hands.  No matter what Sophia said, I was alone.  My mind conjured images of my parents and my heart shuttered.  Nothing would ever be the same without them.  I would never be the same without them.

I didn’t know how long I cried.  I wasn’t aware of time.  The pain was the only thing I was able to pay attention to.  It ripped through me, pulling my ribs apart and putting them back together while my heart was stabbed over and over again.  Tears drenched my face in hot lines as I tried to catch my breath.  When I had begun to cry again, Luc was quick to comfort me and had begun to rock me in a steady rhythm that was becoming familiar.  He didn’t speak.  He only held me as I cried.  Only the steady motion of his rocking and the thump of his heart kept my sanity from breaking into. 

Slowly, the pain subsided and only numbness remained.  I trembled as I sat up and gazed at Luc as I tried to understand this man who had been chosen for me to marry.

“Thank you,” I whispered not knowing what else to say.  He had comforted me when he didn’t know me.  I owed him something for that though I didn’t know what it was.

He nodded and slowly released me but still said nothing.  His face darkened in grief which nearly matched mine.  My heart ached just gazing up at him and I had to turn away. 

“Why did this happen?” I asked in a tear roughened voice, “Why did they kill my parents?”

Sophia swallowed, “You should rest,” she said, turning her gaze from me, “We can talk about this tomorrow.”

“We can talk about it now,” I said, raising my chin as I kept my gaze on her, “I want to know.  Did my mother or father do something to them?”

“No,” Sophia said as the muscles in her face tightened and her eyes narrowed, “You don’t have to do anything to them to gain their hate.  That was proven with your parent’s deaths.”

I frowned as I stared at Sophia and shook my head, “There would have to be a reason,” I whispered and I turned to face Luc, hoping that he would tell me what his mother would not. 

The silence stretched as I stared up into Luc’s face, imploring him to give me an answer.  His eyes met mine as he gave me a small nod, “There is a reason,” he whispered even though his mother shook her head in warning.  Still, he continued in a tight voice, “The truth is, the werewolves who attacked your parents wanted revenge against us.”

“Why?” I asked as I glanced from one of them to another.

“Because of me,” A voice said from the doorway.  A woman stepped through.  She was only a year or two older than me.  She possessed hair of chestnut brown that waved down to her shoulders.  Her hazel eyes were beautiful but grief-stricken within her pale face.  I saw that she would have a beautiful, wide smile if she had been smiling.  She had wonderful curves and her belted black dress only accentuated that.  She stepped further into the room and only then did I see that another woman walked close behind her.

The other woman was much shorter than the woman before her.  Even I stood taller than her.  Her hair was long and black as raven’s feathers.  Her eyes were a striking silver in color.  Her skin was pale and her lips were almost as full as Sophia’s.  In her arms she held a little girl who appeared to be almost a year old.  The little girl had the same silver eyes as her mother but her hair seemed to be mixed with the same brown, black and blonde streaks as her uncle.  When the woman stepped closer the little girl reached out for Sophia, who took her and held her close.

I blinked and turned my attention back to the woman, who had taken the blame for my parent’s death.  I frowned as I gazed up into her grief stricken face. 

“Why do you think that the attack was your fault?” I asked, peering up into her eyes.

“I didn’t say it was my fault,” the woman said, raising her chin, “I said that it was because of me.”

I pursed my lips in confusion and then, shook my head, “I don’t understand.”

“Maybe I should introduce you first,” Sophia said and then, waved toward the smaller woman, “This is Aurora.  She is married to my oldest son, Andre,” she said, giving Aurora a small smile before turning to the other woman, “This is Lilly.  She is married to my son, Marco.  Aurora and Lilly happen to be half-sisters.  Aurora is the oldest.”

I blinked surprised because honestly, they didn’t look similar at all.  Still, I sensed the bond between them. 

Sophia caught my attention again when she spoke once more as she gazed lovingly into the little girl’s face, “And this beautiful baby girl is my granddaughter.  She is Andre and Aurora’s daughter, Ruby.”

I nodded, trying to be polite but I was too desperate for answers, “You said that the attack was because of you?” I asked, facing Lilly.  The woman nodded.

“It’s because of us really,” Aurora said with a long, mournful sigh. 

“What do you mean?” I asked, frowning.  They glanced at one another and then, Aurora stepped forward.  Her face had darkened in sadness and anger. 

“I think I should go first,” Aurora said, glancing at Lilly and she nodded.  Finally, her silver eyes met mine, “I was conceived in rape though my mother didn’t tell me that until I came here.  My father’s name is Emilian Grey.  He is the Alpha of the pack that attacked your parents.”

My eyes had widened considerably, “Your father did this to my family?”

“Yes,” she whispered but her eyes blazed with anger.

“I still don’t understand,” I said, glancing around the room before my gaze landed back on Aurora. 

“He found out about me shortly after I was born,” she said, raising her chin, “My mother entered the agreement of my betrothal with Sophia.  My father was angry about that.  He had his own choice…A man named Garridan was who he chose for me.  I was lucky.  Garridan did not truly want me.  He just wanted to be released from his pack.  Since my father wouldn’t do that, only one of his offspring could.  I released Garridan after my father kidnapped me.  He helped me to escape and I have bonded with Andre every way I can.  So, my father has no hopes of forcing me into his family.  However, he did forcibly blood bond with my mother, Fiona.  She’s with him now.”

I trembled as she said this.  The blood bond was the strongest bond of a werewolf.  Not even death would break it.  If one died the other would soon follow. 

“I think it’s my turn now,” Lilly said, stepping forward as I met her eyes.  She bit her lip nervously as she began in a voice which trembled with emotion, “I knew about our father, though I did not have any knowledge of Aurora until I arrived here.  My step-father, Ion, who is actually our father’s brother, told me.  He also raped my mother and she made me pay for it,” I noticed that Lilly’s eyes hardened as she said this, “I never had a mother who loved me because of him.  Still, Sophia made a deal with my mother for my betrothal to her son, Marco and in the process, she saved my life.  My mother would have aborted me.  Our father found out about me and promised me to a man named Eli.  On the night of my wedding, he stabbed me and tried to force a blood bond.  Marco saved me by blood bonding with me before Eli could.”

My mouth dropped open and I could feel pity so absolute for Lilly that I couldn’t hide it but she smiled, “Don’t worry,” Lilly whispered, “Marco loves me and I love him.  So don’t feel sorry for me.  I have a good life now.  Still, Eli is the one who killed your parents though I don’t think that was his intentions.  I think he meant to kidnap you as revenge because he didn’t gain me for a mate.  He was determined to take a mate for himself who was promised to this family.”

“So, I was just a product of revenge and so were my parents?” I asked, narrowing my eyes, “Well, I hope you don’t mind if I say that I hope your father dies for his part in this and I wish the same on Eli.”

Aurora stepped forward again, “Eli has started a war with us,” she said, raising her chin, “He will die but my father…If you kill him, you will kill my mother.  She is an innocent.”

I winced and then, nodded my head.  I would not harm someone who was innocent.  However, Eli would meet his end and if I had any choice, it would be by my own hand.

**********

My parents were buried in a quaint but beautiful graveyard less than a mile from the Brazil’s motor home park the next day.  Sophia had chosen the location specifically for me.  She wanted to make it possible for me to visit my parent’s graves any time that I wanted.  She had chosen two plots beneath a large tree because she wanted their resting places to be peaceful and private because that is how she thought of them…peaceful and private. 

              She was right.  I glanced around realizing that this was the place they would have picked if they had been able.  Sadly, Sophia’s careful and thoughtful planning did not take away from my grief as I stood beneath the tree with people who I did not know. I stood stoically beside my parent’s caskets trying to hold in tears that came anyway.  I stared at the smooth wooden lids with the knowledge that I wouldn’t be able to view my parent’s faces one more time.  Though that bothered me, I forced myself not to think of the reasons why as the tears became steady streams down my cheeks. 

              Instead, I tried to pay attention to what the preacher was saying but no matter how much I tried, I only heard a muffled roar as my heart broke more and more with each minute that passed.  Images of both my mother and father floated in front of me so clear that I trembled.  My chest ached and I pressed my hand to my heart unable to hold in the sobs any longer.  

Sophia instantly pulled me to her as the preacher droned on.  Distantly, I realized that Luc was holding my hand as I trembled and shook with my sobs.  I didn’t pull away from him.  Instead, I allowed him to caress my hand gently in his because on some level, I realized that he needed to and not because he was my betrothed.  It was part of who he was. 

Minutes passed as the preacher tried to convey a promise of peace in his message before my sobs began to subside.  Only then did the preacher’s words came to me and his question caused me to raise my head. 

              “Does anyone wish to say anything about Stefan or Ella Lee?” He asked.  I opened my mouth to answer but it was Sophia who pulled away from me.  She rose, straightening her skirt as she did and walked to the end of the coffins to stand behind the pulpit which had been placed there for the funeral.

              She raised her chin and her eyes met mine as a small sob broke from between her lips.  She swallowed the sound forcing herself to calm.  She coughed and then, nodded once just before she began.

“Stefan and Ella were important to my family.  Stefan was my husband’s childhood friend.  Ella was my best friend during the worst thing I have ever been through.  If it wasn’t for her, I would be dead and so would my husband.  They were caring people, who deserved more than to die without seeing their daughter married or their grandchildren.  They deserved to grow old.”

              My heart clenched as more tears fell.  I held my breath afraid that I would break into hysteria as I listened to Sophia’s rich, beautiful voice hoping that she could give me some comfort in her words.  Only Luc’s grip on my hand kept me from giving into the sobs once more.

              “They were loving people,” Sophia said as she glanced at the coffins, “They taught me that there is beauty even in the darkness.  They taught me that I wanted to love like they did.  They were beautiful.  As we walk our days without them, we must still see that beauty.  We will see it in our memories but we will also see it in their legacy.  That legacy is their daughter who they loved more than anything.  So, I bid my dearest friends farewell.  I hope they have found the peace they both deserve.”

              She stepped down from the pulpit and stopped at my mother’s coffin, “We will take care of your girl, Ella,” she said as a tear rolled down her cheek and landed on one of the roses that rested on the casket.

              Then, she walked to my father’s casket, “Rest now, Stefan.”

              I couldn’t hold the sobs in any longer.  They burst from me, pulling from the deepest part of my soul.  I watched in horrified wonder as the flowers were removed from their caskets and they were slowly lowered into the ground.  Panic seized me and for a moment I wanted to stop their descent. Only Luc’s grip kept me in the seat.

              Sophia sat back down beside me and she lifted my face so that I stared into her eyes.  They softened with understanding, “Let them take their bodies,” she said and gave me a small, sad smile, “You carry their souls with you.  Make them proud, Mary Jane.”

              I swallowed over my sobs and nodded as we stood.  Sophia was right.  They couldn’t truly take my parents from me.  I would always remember them. 

My eyes shifted back to the graves as the gravediggers began to pull shovels from their trucks.  I stared at them in shock as they began to hand them out.  When they handed one to me, I frowned down at it and Sophia raised her chin once more as she rose yet again. 

              “In our family, we bury our own,” she said as she turned to dig her shovel into the mound of dirt, “We don’t let strangers send our family to their final farewell.”

              I took a deep breath and allowed the final tear to fall as I stood and walked to the mound of dirt at the end of each casket.  I dug into the soft, loose soil allowing the weight of it settle as I gazed down at the graves.  Slowly, I stepped forward and turned the handle in my hands, allowing the dirt to fall from the shovel onto my father’s casket before returning and repeating the process for the casket of my mother.  Every member of the Brazil family began to shovel the dirt onto the caskets.  When all was done, I stared at the two small mounds that covered my parents.  Everyone was silent as they backed away, leaving me to have a moment with them.  I reached my hands out over each grave, hoping to experience something that told me they were still near.