Chapter 16 : The Truth

*Circe* Circe's hands and arms were shaking up to her elbows. Everything within her wanted to run away, but she knew she had to do this. She felt a bit better with Ivy holding her arm. They walked through the house which felt warmer than usual. Circe wasn't sure if it was actually warmer or if her nerves were getting the best of her. Levi led the way toward the office, and Circe tried to remind herself that it would all be okay. Levi knocked on the office door while Circe and Ivy hung back. Circe could tell something was wrong. The lights seemed dim in the room, and there were torn books on the floor. "What is it, Levi?" Henry called out from inside the office. "Circe has something she needs to tell you," Levi answered in a monotone voice. "Have her come back in the morning. I can't deal with anything else tonight," Henry answered. He sounded tired. Circe felt a new rush of guilt for what she had done to him. "Henry, you're going to want to hear this–now," Levi insisted. Circe couldn't see Henry's reaction, but Levi stared straight ahead with a strange expression. It seemed like they stood in silence for hours, but barely a minute had passed. "Alright, fine. Send her in," Henry answered. Levi turned and faced Circe again with his serious expression. Ivy turned Circe's body to look at her. "We'll be right out here. He's going to be mad. You're expecting that, but I promise it's going to be okay. Just tell him quickly," Ivy whispered. Circe nodded and then forced one foot in front of the other toward the office door. She started to shake more and felt the panic growing in strength inside of her when she looked around the office. Henry had torn it to shreds. Was she looking at her future in the broken furniture and torched books? Would Henry tear her to shreds when he realized the truth? Circe clasped her hands behind her back to try to stop the shaking. "What is it?" Henry asked, not looking up from the papers in front of him. They were the only thing in the room that didn't show any signs of distress. "Henry, you keep saying something is wrong. This mating shouldn't have happened, and you were meant to be with Mae. You're right," Circe whispered. She had his attention now. Henry looked up at her with a wildfire in his eyes. He sat up straighter and looked at her intensely. "What do you mean, Circe?" he demanded in a low and serious tone. "I–I love you. I've always loved you. Even when we were only weeks away from the mating ritual, I hadn't found anyone else I loved as much as you. I couldn't stand the idea of you being so happy, married to Mae, while I was left all alone, never seen by you…" Circe replied. The tears found their familiar place down her cheeks. She wasn't sure why she started that way, perhaps some glimmer of a justification, but she knew Henry wouldn't see it that way. "What did you do, Circe?" Henry asked, still speaking lowly in almost a growl. He stood very slowly and kept his eyes locked on hers. "I–I went… to the witch, in the mountains. I… begged her to cast a spell so that–so that–" "So that you would be my mate instead of Mae?" Henry finished. Circe nodded. "I brought her bits of your fur and–and Nathan's so she could make the switch. She cast the spell and… Henry, I'm so sorry," Circe blurted out. Henry was still. He looked down again at the papers in front of him. Circe wasn't sure what was worse–him screaming and yelling or his stoic silence. Either way, the fearful tremors were beyond her control now. "You asked that evil, monstrous woman to cast a spell so that I might be mated with you instead of Mae? What did you think would happen? That you'd never have to tell me? That I would give up on Mae and grow to love you?" Henry spat the words out like venom. His words felt like gunshot wounds through her. Circe nodded, feeling stupid and pitiful now. "How could you do this to me?" He had started to raise his voice now. Circe backed up against the wall. He shoved the papers off the desk and stomped around it. He looked like he had a murderous look in his eyes. "How could you possibly think I could love you after something like this! Fix this! Go back to that horrible hag and demand she undoes the spell now!" "I tried! I did already. I begged her. I offered her anything she wanted. She–she wouldn't do it," Circe explained. Henry inched closer to her. "What the hell do you mean she wouldn't do it?" he barked at her. Kicking aside everything in his path, he pushed the chair on the other side of the desk with such force it toppled over the other one causing them both to break. Circe continued to shake as she looked at the chairs now in pieces. "I don't know why. She said I had nothing left to offer that she wanted. She said what's done is done, and she wouldn't undo the spell. She said I–that I had to live with the consequences." "Well, I'm sure as f*ck not living with your consequences!" Henry screamed. "How could you do this, Circe? Our packs are being torn apart by the threat of war! You saw how devastated I was. How can you claim to love me and watch me go through something like that? You are despicable!" Circe closed her eyes and pressed her body against the wall to try to stop the shaking. She felt so small and worthless. Henry's words hurt worse than she could have ever imagined. "I know, and I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, tell me what to do, and I'll do it. Please, I'll do anything to fix this. Henry, I'm so sorry," Circe pleaded. "The only thing you can do is leave my sight. You clearly ruin everything you touch. Your selfishness nearly destroyed two entire packs! D*mn, Circe! Could you not think of anything beyond your own desires? How could you be so childish?" Henry was so close to her now, she could feel the heat of his breath on her cheeks. She could feel the pulsing of his rage echoing off of him. The feel of it felt like fire burning her skin. She wished she could disappear. "I'm so sorry," she whispered again. Henry stared at her for a long time, cutting her down with an expression of disgust. Finally, he moved to walk out the door. "Wait!" Circe called out. Henry paused with his hand against the door frame. He was gripping it so tightly the wood started to crack under the pressure. "What?" he asked gruffly. "Are there more secrets and evil doings that you've kept from me?" "No, just please, I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please don't tell Samuel," Circe begged. Henry turned and looked at her, still with hateful eyes, but now, a good mixture of confusion as well. "Samuel? What?" Henry paused, thinking about it before he narrowed his eyes at her again. The wall frame finally cracked under the pressure of his grip. "Tell me, Circe, if you hadn't met him, felt that you were meant to be mated with him, would you have ever told me the truth? Would you have ever tried to fix the damage you had done?" Circe lowered her head. She didn't want to tell him the truth. She didn't want to upset him further, but she knew no good could come from telling any more lies. She kept her eyes away from him and shook her head. Henry scoffed. "You're right, you have no right to ask me that. If Samuel really is meant to be mated with you, I think he has a right to know exactly the kind of person you are," Henry shot back. He walked out the door, and Circe fell to the floor in tears and shame. *** *Henry* Henry ignored Levi and Ivy outside the office and walked with a force toward the front door. He wasn't sure yet how he'd get past the guards once he reached the property lines of the Forest Pack, but he certainly wasn't going to let anything get in his way. Once Henry was on the road, he broke into a run. He ran as fast as he could. He was so anxious for Mae, so anxious to tell her the truth. He wanted her, he wanted to hold her so badly. He also ran to release the anger and hurt, tearing him from the inside. Henry never imagined Circe would be capable of such maliciousness. Though he'd never been interested in her, he never imagined she would betray him like this--act so selfishly. Tears fell heavy down his eyes. He wasn't sure if they were tears of joy or fury, but it didn't matter. He ran quickly and tried to push everything from his mind but the image of Mae. Her smile, the taste of her lips. He couldn't fight his desire for her any longer and now he knew he didn't have to. He ran just fast enough to keep from shifting so that he wouldn't tear his clothing. Henry finally slowed when he reached the border. He was shocked to see the line of patrol. Mae had said her father was going a little mad with the thought of war, but he never thought Alpha Keith would go to such extremes. He wished he could have arranged to meet Mae at their secret spot, but there was no way to get a message to her. Henry kept hidden and watched the line of guards, looking for any kind of a weak spot that might be his way in. He followed the borderline to the eastern wall that cut them off from the wild woods of the north. Perhaps if he went far enough beyond the wall, surely Alpha Keith's paranoia couldn't have pushed the protection lines so far. Henry moved as close as he could to the border without risking being seen and followed until the wall came closer into view. He noticed the guards became less and far between but never disappeared entirely. He'd have to be sneaky and move when he thought he was least likely to be observed. Henry studied their movements and waited for a break. When the guards turned, he moved quickly, climbing the wall in one quick movement. He dropped down and dashed under a pile of barrels when the guards turned back to inspect the noise. "What was that?" one of them whispered. "I'm not sure. Maybe the wind?" the other responded. Henry couldn't see them from behind the barrels, but the first guard had to have made some sort of snarky expression for the second guard to respond back with, "Hey, you didn't know either!" "Just go look over there, and see if you can find something moving. I won't be the reason something gets past these walls. I don't really want to face the wrath of Alpha Keith. Do you?" Henry closed his eyes and listened to the footsteps as they patterned farther away from him. When he felt it was safe, he popped his head up just enough to see he had a clear pathway. He did his best to keep his footsteps light and moved around a building and out of sight. When the way was clear, Henry was back to running. He had to get to Mae. She had to know. He ran the familiar path to her house in the center of the town. He stopped about a half mile from her house and slowed to a walk, catching his breath and making sure the paranoid Alpha didn't have people watching the house as well. When Henry felt confident the way was clear, he moved around the side of the house to Mae's window. He smiled, thinking of his love. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again.