Love Times Four My Stepbrothers Are My Mates (Alayah) novel Chapter 85

**Chapter 85: History**

**Uncle Josh’s Perspective**

If we truly want Alayah to embrace her destiny, we must approach her with unvarnished honesty. She needs to grasp the significance of her assuming the Alpha position, and I am convinced that the key to this understanding lies with her Mates.

There exists a wealth of untold history surrounding the Blood Stone Pack, a tapestry woven with secrets we have guarded closely for compelling reasons. My greatest hope is that Alayah will come to comprehend why we have chosen not to disclose everything to the other Packs.

My father is confident that they will understand our rationale for maintaining a veil of secrecy. For hours, we have deliberated on Alayah’s ascension since her existence came to light, and there is much we need to convey to her and her family. We must begin with the one piece of information we allowed to slip through our fingers intentionally; it has spared us considerable heartache over the years.

We would never obstruct a genuine Mate-bond, yet we needed the outside world to perceive that we might. The last thing we wanted was for Wolves or Lycans to emerge, claiming to be the rightful heirs to the Alpha title, casting us in the light of a ruthless and unjust Pack. This perception was our shield, keeping potential threats at bay. It was my father’s brilliant idea to draft that memo so many years ago, which we sent to the Elders, and it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, it did nothing to deter Alayah and her family.

I can’t help but feel a flicker of surprise when Alayah inquires about her Mates gifting her something. It was a notion we had hoped was true but lacked confirmation. If one or more of her Mates were to exhibit signs of possessing an ability, we would finally have the evidence we needed. Such occurrences had only been recorded twice in our family’s history, and only once in detail. I find myself yearning for Alayah to share her reasoning behind the question, and I know I’m not alone in my curiosity.

“Alayah, before we dive into your inquiry, there are a few crucial matters I must clarify for all of you,” I state, making my way toward the window. I’ve always found it easier to recount our history when my gaze is drawn elsewhere.

“Our Pack was established a decade or two following the War for females. During that tumultuous period, we were acutely aware of the bond shared between Wolves and Lycans. Yet, most Packs remained skeptical, doubting the authenticity of that connection and its potential to evolve into a true Mate-bond in a matter of days,” I explain, my voice steady.

At that time, Packs lived under a shroud of fear—fear of their neighbors, fear for their own members. It was a fragile peace, and the surviving Council members, having endured the attack on the Palace, embarked on a quest to find any remnants of the Royal Family.

The sole survivor was the Pup of Prince Xandros and Council-member Vivyanna. However, he showed no desire to claim the throne. This pivotal moment led the Elders and the last Royal to establish a Council of Elders, supported by the Blood Stone Pack.

“What about the female you were searching for, Bastian?” Noah interjects, his curiosity piqued. Bastian glances at me momentarily before redirecting his attention back to Noah. The tale of this female is a grim one, yet it serves as a poignant reminder of why we need Alayah to assume her rightful place as our Alpha, and I intend to leverage this to our advantage.

“I believe it would be best if Dad shared this story with all of you,” Bastian replies, prompting everyone to refocus their attention on me.

The female in question is a nineteen-year-old Lycan who grew up in a mixed Pack as the Beta’s Daughter. She spent her childhood alongside the Pups of the Alpha and Gamma. To her surprise, the future Alpha began to show her more attention once he turned eighteen, but his training kept him preoccupied, leaving little time for their burgeoning connection. When she turned sixteen, her Lycan emerged, and instead of training alongside her future mate, she found herself training with the other Lycans in their Pack.

The future Alpha was not pleased with the attention she received from other males during training, and his father had to intervene multiple times to prevent him from resorting to violence against a Pack member. As she reached seventeen, his obsession became overwhelming, prompting her to move out of the Pack house. Yet, on her eighteenth birthday, she discovered the undeniable connection that existed between her and the future Alpha.

After a conversation with both of their parents present, she decided to explore the potential of their bond. However, on the day her Lycan informed her that the bond had fully formed, she collapsed in excruciating pain. It didn’t take long for her to uncover the source of her suffering—the future Alpha had convinced himself that she had been unfaithful, believing she had been involved with some of the Pack’s Lycan Warriors, and he intended to make her pay for her perceived betrayal.