Vindicator

Chapter 24

"Hold up" Karma said, shifting so she was kneeling instead of sitting. She grabbed her mother by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "You're telling me that my twin brother is the Theo that the Queen literally begged me to save, and the piece of shit that tortured you throughout my entire childhood is the rogue who is holding him hostage, and also my father?" She demanded, wanting to be sure she understood properly.

Christina bit her bottom lip, nodding. "I'm so sorry, Karma..." she whispered.

Karma smiled at her mother, and kissed her cheek. "You have nothing to be sorry for, mother. You just gave me a wonderful gift, because my father is about to get his karma" she said with a dark chuckle.

Ensuring her mother could make it home, she opened a door to grant Christina passage to the Forsaken pack. "I'll be back soon" Karma promised as she turned away, intending to find Alessia.

"Karma, wait!" Her mother called after her.

Pausing, Karma turned partially to look back.

"He's strong, Karma...He was the strongest Alpha below the royals when you were born. With his wolf gone crazy, it will be dangerous to go alone. Why don't I come with you?" Christina said quietly, unsure if she could fight her mate despite everything he'd put her through.

Karma smiled, shaking her head. "I'm not alone, mom. And you don't need to face that monster. I love you" she said, blowing her mother a kiss. Then, before Christina could stop her again, she had taken off at a run to find her wolf.

"Alessia?" Karma called out through their mindlink as she ran.

"What is it?" Alessia replied groggily.

"I'm sorry, I had hoped I could let you sleep longer, but time is of the essence" Karma said.

"That's alright" Alessia assured her, sounding more alert this time. "What is it?" She asked again.

Karma quickly relayed the information to Alessia that she'd learned from her mother, shocking Alessia in much the same way that she had been. Alessia recovered quickly, though, recognizing the urgency of the situation. She ran out to reunite with Karma and the two discussed their plan.

"He's a strong Alpha, apparently" Karma murmured.

"So are we" Alessia countered with a wolfy grin.

"I don't think we're quite on the same level, though. He has more fighting experience than we do. We should try to outsmart him instead of a head-on fight, if we can avoid it" Karma reasoned.

Alessia took in their surroundings, they had reunited in the middle of a densely wooded area. The sun was breaking through the tree canopies in small beams of light that danced across the forest floor. Not a single sound could be heard in the realm aside from the odd rustling of the trees as the two conversed through mindlink. "Our advantage is here" she said thoughtfully.

"Yes, but hiding isn't enough. He'll be fast if we try to jump out at him, I don't know if surprise will give us enough of an advantage" Karma hummed.

"No. I mean literally here, in this realm, is the advantage we need. His wolf." She replied.

Karma's eyes widened. "His wolf is here, yes...But we couldn't..." she trailed off.

"If we need to, we will do what we must" Alessia insisted. "Even if that's killing his wolf from here."

Karma nodded numbly, something about the idea unsettling to her. She had to remind herself that this was the monster who'd tortured her mother; and while his wolf had still loved Christina and Faith, he was still one and the same as her father.