The Trinity: The Ashland Pack Series (3 page)

Dalley
Cord was a powerful witch and had tried to escape numerous times. If it hadn’t been for Selena’s
predictions of escape, Dalley would be free today. Selena’s ability to see the future had
kept Dalley bound to her cell. Eli
Cord and his brothers didn’t possess any of their mother’s abilities. They were found a month later after
Adrianna was almost raped, beaten close to death and her parents were
killed. They were still residents
of the Wolf and Vampire Prison.

The
Supreme Alpha sat at his desk, thinking about Adrianna. Afton had so many secrets, sometimes he
didn’t know where the lies ended, and the truth began. He never meant for it to get so far out
of control. With all the things, which
had happened to Adrianna, there was no way he would be able to tell her the
truth yet. No, she needed space and
time.

He loved
his daughter so much; telling her the truth would hurt her. Adrianna loved him but she always
believed Cale McDonald was her father. Afton hoped Adrianna would forgive him for keeping it a secret. Selena advised him Adrianna would never
hate him. Adrianna hid her heart
but loved so much on the inside. She continually fought this within herself. Adrianna’s heart was too big to
hide. Selena had seen deep inside
her heart and knew how much love Adrianna had just waiting to share. Afton knew he needed to tell her now
before he informed everyone else. He needed Mace here also so Adrianna would have her brother to lean on.

Afton sent
a message for Adrianna, instructing her to come to his office once Mace arrived
at the Oakland Hills Resort.

Adrianna
knew the moment her brother Mace walked into the Oakland Hills Resort. She could feel his energy and
anticipation when he arrived. Adrianna ran to Room 303 to surprise her brother.

When
Adrianna knocked on the door, Mace asked, “Who is it?”

Adrianna
jokingly disguised her voice and said, “Room service, sir.”

When Mace
opened the door, Adrianna jumped into his arms, laughing. Mace knew it was his sister and grabbed
her, laughing along with her. Mace
threw Adrianna on the bed and tickled her. Adrianna couldn’t control the laughter. Mace sat up, and then kissed his sister
on the forehead.

“I’ve
missed you, Peanut.”

“I missed
you, too, Bubba.”

Mace
smiled at the nickname Adrianna used for him. Adrianna couldn’t say
Mace
when she was little but she could
say Bubba. Ever since she was two
years old, Adrianna had called him, “Bubba,” even after she could pronounce
Mace.

“Bubba, I
know we were going to eat, but Afton wants to see us together before the dinner
in the dining hall.”

Mace
looked concerned at Adrianna. “Do
you know what the Supreme Alpha wants?”

Adrianna
sighed. “No, he never said. He’s acting strange and even
nervous.”

“Oh, well,
let’s go get this over with,” Mace said.

Mace and
Adrianna knocked on Damen McDonald’s door, waiting for Mace’s Protector to go
with them. As a Protector, Damen
McDonald was one of the best. He
had mad skills and he was Adrianna and Mace’s cousin. Damen opened the door and smiled. “Hey there, gorgeous,” he said.

“What’s
up, Mad Max?”

Damen
picked Adrianna up and whirled her around in circles, laughing.

“Put me
down, you big oaf,” she said.

Damen
loved how Adrianna called him Mad Max. She was always coming up with nicknames for people. Damen remembered the day he asked
Adrianna why she called him Mad Max. Adrianna just giggled and smiled.

“Because
you look like him a little—dark and mysterious,” she had answered.

Since
then, everybody else started calling Damen, Mad Max.

When
Adrianna, Mace, and Damen walked into Afton Mackenzie’s suite, Afton was pacing
impatiently and Selena was standing by the window.

Adrianna
immediately went to Afton’s side.

“What’s
wrong?” she asked.

“I’m
sorry, sweetheart. Sit down, all of
you.”

Afton
shook hands with Mace and Damen. He
thought the best way to approach the subject was just to put it all out on the
table at once.

“Sit down,
gentlemen. I need to tell you
something. I know you will find
this hard to believe. This will
come as a surprise to you, Adrianna and Mace, but I am Adrianna’s real
father.”

Adrianna
gasped and stared at him for a moment before putting her head down.

Mace
looked at Adrianna, who kept staring at the floor.

Mace
looked at Afton and asked, “What the fuck are you talking about, Alpha? Cale McDonald is Adrianna’s
father.”

“I know it
was what you were told. We didn’t
want anyone to know, but circumstances have changed and Adrianna has to know
the truth.”

Mace’s
face turned red, the power pulsing off him in waves. Mace’s eyes narrowed and his teeth were
grinding against each other. The
energy in the room became heated.

“Alpha,
this isn’t funny. I don’t know
what’s the fuck is going on, but I don’t like my father’s name to be
disrespected.”

“No, no,
Mace. I loved your father but
they—well, we felt it would be best to let everybody believe Cale was
Adrianna’s father.”

Adrianna
never looked up, but the energy in the room was palpable. Adrianna never moved or made a
sound. Her ears were ringing. She needed to get out of the room.

Selena
stepped from the window and placed her arm on Afton’s shoulder. Selena sent him calming thoughts.

Selena
sighed. “As you know, Cale and
Afton were best friends. One night
while Cale was out of town on business, Dalley Cord used her magic and sent a
lust spell toward Afton and your mother. Afton was in town visiting his sister, Isabella. Dalley Cord was a powerful witch. Your mother and Afton couldn’t control
themselves. Your mother was in heat
and—well, Adrianna was conceived. When your mother and Afton woke up the next day, they knew black magic
had been used against them. They
waited for your father to return and then confessed to him about what had
happened. Your father was a great
man who loved his wife and knew your mother would never have betrayed him. Cale forgave them because he knew it
wasn’t their fault. He never
thought any differently of Adrianna. In their eyes, she was his daughter. Cale loved you, Adrianna.”

Afton
looked at Adrianna. “I’m sorry,
Adrianna. I never meant to hurt you
by keeping this a secret. I know
you feel lost, as if you can’t trust anyone, but…”

Before
Afton could finish his comment, he closed his eyes. He could feel Adrianna’s pain.

“Adrianna…
please say something,” Afton said.

“May I be
excused, please? I’ve got to go
over the security details with the Protectors who have arrived,” she said.

“Adrianna,
please—just stay and listen,” Selena said.

Everyone
turned and stared at Adrianna. They
could feel her pain. Adrianna jumped
up and left the room. Afton dropped
his head, knowing he had caused his daughter more pain. The girl had been through enough.

Mace
looked at Afton angrily. “Why—why would you keep this from us—from Adrianna? Has she not been through enough shit?”

Mace was
so angry about the secrets, which had been kept from him and his sister. He was Adrianna’s Protector. Now he felt as if Adrianna would be
taken away from him, too.

“Damn it,
she is still my sister. Nobody is
going to take her away from me,” Mace said angrily.

Afton went
to his knees in front of Mace. “Please forgive me. We
thought we were protecting her. We
felt if people knew she was my daughter, they would try to capture her in order
to hurt me. Now we know we did the
right thing. Selena has had
visions, Mace, where your sister would have been hunted. We couldn’t let that happen. Then Selena had the vision about the
Trinity
. The
Trinity
will rule the packs, the Vampire Council, and the Twister’s
Council. Mace, I don’t know how to
say this, but your sister is the
Trinity
.”

“What are
you saying? It’s a myth—a
legend. Adrianna isn’t a witch, a
wolf, or a vampire.”

Selena
answered, “Yes, Mace, she is. When
Eli Cord left your sister for dead, I gave her my blood. I saved her life by giving her my
blood. It’s never happened before,
but Adrianna changed with my blood. Her DNA is unique. Nobody
else has it. She is special. I didn’t know at the time your mother
was also a witch. I am both, you
know. I am a vampire and a witch. Afton is her father. He is the strongest Alpha. She has all three of our blood in her. She is the
one
. She possesses the
mark on her neck. Her hair covers
it. Adrianna thinks it’s a
birthmark. She is more powerful
than all of us. Adrianna will be
the one who will bring us all together. Adrianna is the
Trinity
.”

Selena
continued. “She will need all our
help now. Trouble is coming,
Mace. I have seen it in my visions. Something terrible and strong is coming
to destroy us all. It wants
Adrianna. We have to prepare her
and everyone else. She will need a
mate, a strong Alpha to help her rule. She will need you also, Mace—your strength and your love. Nobody is trying to take her away from
you. She is your sister, Mace, but
Afton is her father. I have had
visions about a powerful witch and vampire who have come together to kill
Afton. I can’t see whom they are
protecting, but they wield dark magic. It is something very powerful. They must be stopped.”

Mace
noticed Damen was not saying anything and it was odd—especially the way
he felt about Adrianna. Mace looked
at Damen and asked, “How long have you known damn it?”

“Ten
years. I was sworn to secrecy by
the Supreme Alpha,” answered Damen.

Mace was
so angry at being kept in the dark. He was mad at Damen, too. Why didn’t they trust him enough to tell him the truth? Mace got up from his chair and stood in
front of Afton and Selena.

“The
secrets stop right now. What else
do I need to know before I go to find my sister?!” Mace yelled.

Selena
looked at Mace with sympathy in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mace. I love
Adrianna and I was only protecting her. I know her mates will be here at the Conference. Their protection for her after the
announcement will be needed.”

“Mates…
what the fuck… as in two?” Mace
asked in shock.

“Yes,
mates. I see two mates who will
protect her and love her. That’s
what she will need,” Selena informed Mace.

“I don’t
understand why my parents didn’t tell me this. I understand they needed to protect
Adrianna from danger, but not from me. I’m her brother.”

Nobody
said anything but looked at Mace with sadness in their eyes.

“Okay, I
need to find Adrianna,” Mace said. “I also know she needs honesty. I can feel her pain, the betrayal, and the loneliness. Okay—if she needs protection, then
I’m in and don’t try to talk me out of it. It’s time to think about her, but I can’t protect her here. She needs to come home.”

Afton
stood up and faced Mace. “I’m
sorry, Mace, that we kept this from you, too. I only want the best for Adrianna. I need your help. She will listen to you and needs to be
near you. So I agree, we need to
change our base of operations and move Adrianna home to Ashland. You are the Alpha; it would mean I would
operate out of there also. You would
be in charge of the Ashland Pack. I
will continue running the packs until she is ready to take over with her
mates. Do you think it would be
alright with you, Mace, for us to move to Ashland?”

Mace
didn’t know what to say. He looked
at Damen, then answered, “Yes, I can handle it. My sister needs to come home. She needs her family more now, than she
ever did.”

“After the
Conference, we will leave for Ashland,” Afton announced.