Big Bad Wolf Chapter 109: Making It Right

"For so long, I have sought to persuade the High Chairs to abolish the fourth rule in The Elders Treaty that the First Fours had enacted."

"The *Fourth Rule*, Your Majesty?"

"The rule that prohibits different beings from cohabiting. Lycans should not mate with vampires, humans, or any other species for that matter. The Elders Treaty is obsolete, and most of the principles in it no longer apply today. The Moon Goddess has given you, a human, to Lucas, a Lycan, as his mate, and she has given Alexander, also a Lycan, a vampire mate. The facts of your case have demonstrated to me that The Elders Treaty must be modified. I'm sure you'd agree."

"Yes, I think I understand, Your Majesty."

"And it is for this reason that I am grateful. What you and your friends have gone through will serve as confirmation and substantiation of my assertions." Queen Niran stilled. "I'm sorry if I sound so casually forthright about it."

Though she wanted to give the Moon Queen a piece of her mind, Harper thought it was pointless. Though it caught her by surprise, the Queen had already acknowledged the flaw in their treaty and how much grief it had caused them.

As a result, she chose to remain silent.

As if she was reading her mind, Queen Niran went on to say, "Forgive me for the suffering that all of this has brought you. You have been dragged into our world and this *madness* without much of a choice. You've lost people you care about deeply, your mother and your dearest friend."

Harper was confused by the last bit the Moon Queen said. "M-my dearest friend?" Her heart began to pound in her chest. 

"The humans. *Kendal and her grandparents*."

Then there was silence...

Then Queen Niran spoke again, saying, "You may think that I am all-knowing, but I am not. Although I do have to know what my children have been doing. That's why I have eyes everywhere. And I've been getting some heartbreaking reports about you and what has happened to you. Please forgive me, Child."

"*Kendal*…" Harper gulped at her words. "Nan and Pat. They're dead?" When the Moon Queen didn't respond, she knew she didn't have to ask again. "T-they're dead because of me."

"Believe me when I say it's not your fault at all. The Elders Treaty was designed to safeguard the peace while also protecting humans, but it failed. It failed you. Forgive, Child."

With her hands clasped over her mouth, Harper fought to keep the tears from spilling down her face. But they leaked from her eyes and trickled down her fingers.

"I-I didn't even know. I had no idea... they'd been dead... all this time..." She made a shaky motion with her head. Her breathing became quick and shallow. "Oh my god. Nan and Pat... "

"Forgive me for the pain, Child." Queen Niran looked at her for a second before tilting her head back and staring up at the ceiling for a whole minute.

"Who did it? Who killed them?" Harper asked between angry sobs.

"Already dead. Alexander killed him."

"*Keane*?"

"I was told Alexander snapped his head and severed his spinal cord."

Tears coated Harper's cheeks. Choking on tears, she gave a small nod. "He only did it to protect me."

"And I agree. You don't deserve any of these things, which is why I summoned you through Gwinifer. I want to fix what is wrong and make things right for you. Right now, Alpha Redmane is losing his war; his men are severely injured, and your friends are tired and beaten. Tell me what you need."

Harper wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed. "He must win this war. The Alpha must reclaim the City of Velaris. And..." she paused, then pursed her lips. "And I want to go home."

"*Home*." Queen Niran smiled. "Gwinifer will be able to help you and your friends."

"And I want to ask that you grant us the *Royal Pardon*.  Alex, Lucas, and Francine are merely victims of The Treaty too. They need it to return home." Harper looked down at her feet as if she were briefly debating whether she should also ask the Moon Queen, the last thing that popped into her mind. She took a slow, deep breath in the hopes of summoning some courage. "And Alex... I wish for him to regain his memory."

"Alright, but having his memories restored would only make things more complicated for him."

"Wouldn't he forget about his feelings for me?"

"No. He may be mated to her, but he has already fallen deeply in love with you. He has formed a second bond with you, Child, and no amount of magic can undo or invalidate love, or even a mate's bond, that already exists. Although it is uncommon to fall in love or form ties with two people at the same time, it does happen."

"How come he has forgotten about Francine?"

"He has forgotten, yes, but his bond with her is still there, just buried underneath. Never truly gone. And as soon as he regains his memory, the thread that binds him to her will be restored."

"Oh, *shit*," Harper whispered to herself.

"I'm aware that you've already chosen him. While your decision may cause Lucas a tremendous amount of pain, your decision is yours alone, and no one has the authority to take it away from you. Even him, your mate."

This was news to Harper, and it momentarily made her think deeply.

"I'm intrigued, though," the Moon Queen continued, "Why would you still wish for Alexander to regain his memories? If he chose to do so, Francine would have no choice but to accept his rejection. It might be painful at first, but she would eventually come to terms with it. Her mental fortitude is great; she will not lose her mind. If that’s what worries you.”

Harper tried to maintain her composure as she talked, but the tremor in her voice was audible. "Alex deserves to have his entire life returned to him, and that is the right thing to do. And," she paused and sucked in a breath, "considering the enormity of the suffering that this would inflict on Lucas and Francine, I'm not sure I want to choose to be with Alex at this time. All I want, if it's even possible, is for the three of them to be free of anguish and the torture that has bound us all together. I wish Lucas and Alex to be free of me."

"Remove all the feelings, love, emotions, and deep ties that both of them have with you? Is that what you're asking?"

She promptly bent her head humbly. "Yes, Your Majesty." 

Queen Niran didn't respond immediately, and Harper could only speculate on what the Moon Queen was thinking.

"I'm sorry, Child," the Queen said with finality, "but I can't stop Alex from loving you, and I can't undo what the Moon Goddess had bonded."

"Please, Queen Niran, I beg you. I understand. Francine has already suffered greatly because of me. And, while I still care for and love Lucas, the love I feel for him now is not the same as the love I once had for him. I can't bear the thought of causing him any more pain."

Her pleas were answered with deafening silence. Tears escaped her already swollen eyes. She couldn't go back knowing that they would still be miserable after this was all over. She couldn't deal with any of the three in so much pain.

"Please, Your Majesty, I beg you. They can't live in pain because of me. I can't bear the weight of that on my shoulders anymore. If you need me to talk to the High Chairs and tell them about how The Treaty has ruined our lives, particularly mine, I would be willing to do so. I'll be your witness. I'll testify. I'm willing to go to any length. I just don't want any of them to suffer any longer. Please…" she implored and waited.

And then waited.

Queen Niran didn't move or say anything, and she interpreted this as a hint that perhaps the Moon Queen was considering her pleas.

"I must admit, Child, you have astonished me with your selfless love. You love Alex, but you don't want to harm Lucas and Francine. You'd rather carry the pain, than them."

"I suppose I'm tough enough to deal with it."

The Moon Queen's lips moved slowly together to form a small smile. "You must understand, Child, that I will not be able to make Lucas or Alex forget about you or their affection for you. But I can make the pain palatable. Love will remain, but when the four of you return to your world, the three of them will leave a great deal of their pain behind. What the future brings, will all be up to you."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see..." 

Harper breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure what Queen Niran meant, but she figured it was better than nothing.