Chapter 3- Andrew

-Andrew- I wanted to be alone. I’m mad and I’m upset and now I’m crying. Everyone is f*****g watching me cry about how my sister is going to take the throne. I’m pathetic, and I wanted to be pathetic alone. Grandpa Peter comes up and grabs my shoulder, tugging me away from my dad and into a hug. “You’re going to be the king, Andrew. There are prophecies, and they shouldn’t be listened to most of the time, but you were said, by name, as a great king. I know in my heart that part is true.” “And your sister is not stronger than you,” Papa David says. “She shifted before you, but your magic is far stronger than hers.” I sigh, looking down at the forest floor. Everyone is watching me fall apart. Everyone is watching me not shift. Again. I can’t get my magic under control, and I can’t get my wolf. The first time we came out here after I heard my wolf, everyone was so excited. Now, everyone gets awkward. I haven’t heard Valerian in a few weeks, though. I knew I wouldn’t shift tonight. Still, I’d hoped I would. “I’ve been spending a lot of time meditating, trying to find the places inside myself where my wolf is and where my magic is. It’s not like that, though. It’s mixed up together, and I can’t sort it,” I admit, yet another failing. Dad frowns. “Have you talked to your mother about that?” “That I’m trying to see my magic?” I ask. “Absolutely not. It sounds insane.” “It doesn’t, though,” Dad says softly. “There are things your mother knows but doesn’t like to talk about.” Oh, yes. I know that well. “Like magic.” Dad nods. “Your mother had a brother.” I make a face. I’ve heard this story more than a few times before. “Yes, I know. Her brothers were killed, but then you found out Uncle Calvin was alive and hidden.” “Another brother,” Papa David says. “He… he was my son. I didn’t know about him, though.” I look up at Papa, shocked to hear him say that. “How did you not know? And how is he Mom’s brother? Mom was adopted. You’re her stepdad.” David sighs. “Before Benjamin met his first mate, I met her. We had a child, but I was rogue then and couldn’t smell the pup. She sent me away, and I never knew about him.” I look at the man before glancing at Pops beside him. “And you’re friends now?” Pops laughs. “Yes. Because that man was born with magic, and he used it to attack you. He was threatened by how strong you were, and you were just a toddler.” Dad frowns, like Pops has said too much, but he turns to me. “That’s when your sister shifted. Someone got into the palace and tried to kill you, but Poppy pushed through to protect you.” “In the palace?” What the hell? “Why has no one told me this before?” “Because your mother hates to talk about it,” Dad says. “She was devastated. He came after all of us, but he wanted you. Many people were hurt. Hell, your cousin Robbie was kidnapped.” “What?” I exclaim, looking at my uncle Rob. He nods slowly. “What happened to her brother?” “He’s dead,” Grandpa tells me. He doesn’t explain anymore about it, but I’m sure from the look on his face that he’s the one who killed him. “Your dad almost died. You saved him.” My mind spins from everything they’re telling me. They’ve always told me that Cora shifted to save my life, but I thought it was just a nice lie. I thought they were trying to make me feel better about the fact that she shifted so young. But it was the truth. “You can’t tell your mother we’re telling you any of this. Or what I’m about to tell you now,” Dad says sternly. My eyes grow wide as I nod, ready to hear more. “Your mother had her magic suppressed by a spell. It was difficult for her to unlock, but she did it herself by looking inside and finding her magic.” I wrinkle my forehead. “Mom doesn’t really like to talk about using magic.” “She’s intimidated by it,” Dad says. “It caused so many problems for her, and she didn’t have anyone to teach her. She’s read almost every book we have. She uses her magic, but she doesn’t let anyone see it.” I sigh, trying to wrap my head around the fact that my mom might be a master at witchcraft. She never wants to talk about it and always tells me that the magic comes from within, and I have to control it. I don’t even understand what that means, and she says that she can’t teach me. She only ever hands me another book, and they’re so dull. “This is crazy,” I tell them. “It’s crazy enough to make me believe some of the stuff Grandma Cora told me.” Grandpa groans. “What has she said now?” “Last night,” I begin. Dad arches an eyebrow, and I realize I gave up the fact that I snuck out. “I may have snuck off somewhere, but Grandma was already there.” “Where?” Dad asks. His jaw is tight, and his arms are crossed across his chest. s**t. He’s mad. I contemplate crying again to get out of it, but I doubt it would work. I’m the heir, and I’m not allowed to leave on my own. “To the wolfsbane grove.” “Excuse me?” Dad asks. That vein in his forehead is pulsing. He’s really mad. I sigh. “Look, I know I’m not supposed to be out alone, but sometimes I just need to. Grandma Cora told me how to get inside it, and none of you knew, so I’m safe in there. It’s literally a circle of poison.” Dad pinches his nose. “We’ll discuss that later. Grandma Cora was there?” I nod. “Yup. Already in the middle. She likes to lie in the moonlight.” I feel so uncomfortable as everyone looks at me with confusion on their faces. I can’t be the only one who likes to be under the moonlight, other than crazy Grandma Cora, who isn’t seeming quite so crazy right now. “She said you saved her life when you were a kid,” I tell Pops, who looks genuinely surprised to hear that. “I thought that sounded nuts, but after all this…” “She’s not wrong, but it wasn’t exactly like that. It’s not that she’s misremembering, but we saw the situation differently,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s uncomfortable, but there’s no reason to be. I arch an eyebrow. “You were hunting frogs?” Pops laughs. “Something like that.” Grandpa looks at Pops, a frown on his face. There’s something to it, something that he knows and clearly no one else does. There’s always been something between the two of them. I remember being small, and that they didn’t always get along. It hasn’t been until the past few years that they’ve acted like friends. “I’m concerned about Grandma Cora being that close to the wolfsbane,” Dad says. “You’re young and strong, but she’s… not.” I shake my head. s**t. I shouldn’t have said anything. What if they get rid of it now? “She’s fine. You can’t keep her from going there. It’s her favorite place.” “Do you know why it’s her favorite place?” Grandpa asks. My cheeks flame with embarrassment as I remember how she said she and my Grandpa Joseph used to have s*x there. “I do, but you don’t want me to tell you.” “I think I need to know,” he challenges. I shake my head, not wanting to ever utter those words. “Trust me. You don’t. I don’t think Grandma Cora is as crazy as you all think, but I do think she may be a little bit. She says things sometimes, and I mean they’re things you don’t want to know. It’s gross enough hearing it from my great-grandmother, but she’s your MOM.” No one seems to understand, except for Calvin, who places his hand over his mouth to hide a smile. “In the wolfsbane?” I nod and shrug. “I mean, it IS peaceful there.” “What else did she say?” Dad asks, shaking his head. I look away. “She agreed that you guys aren’t telling me everything, and that Garrett and Barrett MUST be important since you’ve had them in the dungeon for so long.” There’s a flash of anger in Dad’s eyes, but I don’t think it’s at me. I really should have stopped talking. “There’s more, but you aren’t yet old enough to learn about that. Someday, you’ll hear about it from your Aunt Ada.” I roll my eyes. “Ada is afraid of me.” “No,” Calvin says firmly. “She’s not. Ada is afraid that you may accidentally see a memory you aren’t supposed to. She got better when you were small, but as your powers got stronger and less controlled, she decided it was best not to touch you so you wouldn’t see them.” “I’m almost a man,” I nearly whine. “I’m supposed to be king, and you guys are keeping these secrets.” Uncle Calvin steps forward and holds his hand out to me. “You can’t tell her I showed you anything, ever.” I nod as I take his hand and fall into his memory. We’re in a cave. It’s dark and a little damp. It smells horrible, but the metallic scent of blood is so strong. There’s blood on the walls of the cave. There’s blood on the floor of the cave. There’s an old blindfold on the ground and a nasty piece of rope, both with blood on them. We’re back in the small clearing, Calvin watching me closely. “That’s where I found Ada. That’s why you can’t accidentally see her memories, ever.” I nod slowly, realizing what an ass I’ve been. I thought Ada was afraid of me, and I guess she was, but not for the reason I thought. Even if she’s kept a physical distance, she’s never treated me differently from my siblings. “You’ll have everything you need to lead the kingdom when the time is right,” Dad tells me. “Just like you will shift when the time is right. You have to relax and trust us. We all want to see you succeed, and you have the advantage of being able to see our memories instead of us telling you stories and accidentally leaving something out.”