Victor was flat on his ass when the door to Helena’s apartnt swung open and Theodore and Theodora Sage waltzed into the room.
Dora gave her grandson a smack on the head before continuing into the room with her twin, making a beeline for the sleeping baby in Alyssa’s arms.
"A new kid cos along and my grandmama treats like this," Victor grumbled as he made his way back to the couch and sat next to Jonathan.
"How are you feeling, dear?" Theodore asked Helena as his eyes scanned her for any visible injuries.
"I’ve already healed," Helena said.
"Not all injuries are physical," Theodore told Helena as he gave her a knowing smile.
Sothing about what he had said resonated with Helena, and she gave him a nod, thankful that he understood that there could be more to her pain.
"Have I introduced you?" Helena asked as she tugged on Roo’s arm.
"Not formally," Theodore chuckled as he recalled Roo’s anger when he found them on the dance floor. "At least not again since I’ve co back."
"Grandpa, this is my mate, Roo," Helena said as she hugged Roo’s arm. "And Roo, this is my Grandfather, the Grand Warlock, Theodore."
"An honor to et you, sir," Roo said as he offered his hand to shake.
Theodore took it and shook it back with a kind smile.
"I’m sorry about how I behaved during the mating ball," Roo said as he looked down at his feet, clearly embarrassed by his possessive reaction to seeing his mate in another man’s arms.
To Helena’s surprise, Theodore threw back his head and laughed.
"You’re not the first Alpha to misinterpret my intentions with their mate," Theodore said with a deep laugh. "And I doubt you will be the last."
Helena smiled as her mate nodded and listened to the older man.
"I’m sorry, but I feel like I know you, but at the sa ti, I can’t recall ever eting you," Roo told Theodore.
Helena held his hand and gave it a small squeeze. He turned to her and gave her a concerned look.
"Is sothing wrong?" Roo asked Helena as he scanned her for any visible injuries.
Helena shook her head and sighed.
"No, it’s just I know what you feel," Helena told Roo. "Most of us are lacking in terms of mories of my grandfather and the other warlocks and witches."
Roo looked even more confused than earlier. He looked to Helena for answers, but she glanced back at her grandfather to explain.
Roo followed her gaze and waited for the older man to speak.
"When I took the coven with to the Ancestral lands, I took away all mory of us," Theodore explained. "It was in the hopes that everyone would forget that I’d left my heir here while I sorted out our ranks."
"But I rember dad, Roo rembers dad too," Helena said, pointing at her mate.
"You rember him because of the profound impact he’s had on your life," it was Dora who answered Helena’s question. "It’s the sa reason why your mother rembers Theodore, Roo’s father probably does as well."
"He does," Alyssa answered.
"It is because of how tightly linked we were before I left that they retain what mory they have of ," Theodore explained. "Most didn’t bond on a deep enough level with Witches and Warlocks for them to rember, but those that did will rember who we were."
"Before your Grandfather whisked everyone away, most Witches and Warlocks were slowly integrating into society, being part of packs and even human cities," Dora explained. "Sadly, due to your dad’s death, he had to take them away."
"My dad and your mom were killed by traitors to the covens and packs," Helena explained. "Grandpa killed everyone that was around, but he believed the threat to be much deeper, so he took every Witch and Warlock who was not mated to a wolf with him to the ancient lands."
"Were you able to find them?" Roo asked Theodore.
"I would not have let Helena bring us back if I hadn’t," Theodore said in a powerful voice. "My family is the most important thing to . You might have forgotten who I am, Roo, but when you were young you knew this."
Roo nodded slowly.
"Why don’t we move on to why you wanted to speak to us?" Theodore suggested as Helena offered them a seat around the dining table.
Everyone took a seat, with the head of the table being left for Helena to take.
At first she hesitated, glancing first at her Grandfather and later to her mate. Both n nodded, encouraging her to take her place.
’It’s our house,’ Hera whispered encouragingly.
Helena sighed but decided to sit down.
She noticed that her mother had taken Rebecca and Ronan and made herself scarce. Helena was thankful, she had no idea where this discussion would go. She also didn’t know how everyone’s temperants would work together.
"Grandpa, does the na Falon ring a bell? Would you know of a Witch with that na? Or would there be a record of this Witch? I was thinking there might be in the library here, but I just wanted to be sure," Helean asked, quickly jumping into the discussion.
"Without a family na, I can’t be too sure," Theodore told his Granddaughter. "Did this Witch harm you in any way?"
"She was involved with the Dark Ridge pack, the pack that kidnapped and that was attacking our pack," Helena explained. "She said that if it weren’t for my tainted bloodline, then she would have more power."
"Could it be?" Dora asked her twin as she looked at the Grandwarlock.
"Oh!" Helena said, sitting upright as she recalled more of what Falon had said. "She said that she was engaged to marry Dad! I said that’s impossible because I didn’t think you’d actually arrange a marriage."
To her surprise, Theodore and Dora shared a look.
"No," Helena gasped.
"It was a different ti," Theodore told his Granddaughter. "Also, it was coven tradition."
Dora was nodding in agreent next to her brother.
"Witches and Warlocks wanted to make sure their family line was the strongest," Dora said, hesitating as she once again glanced at her brother. "Falon’s family line is one of the strongest. So it was only logical that our family lines rged."
"At the ti, it seed right," Theodore explained. "But when your father ca to telling he t soone, that he was mated to a werewolf, I was quick to cancel the engagent. Nothing was set in stone anyway, and they weren’t set to be married for decades anyway."
"She was furious about that," Helena sighed.
"I don’t understand, though," Dora said as she looked at her brother. "I thought she died."
"Died?" Roo asked, tilting his head to the side, leaning forward.
"She married after the engagent was broken off," Dora explained. "If you can’t marry into one powerful family, marry into the next."
"And who is the next most powerful family to the Grand Warlocks?" Roo asked as he glanced at Helena. "I want to know about everyone who might pose a threat to my mate and my son."
Theodore nodded, acknowledging Roo’s concern.
"A cadet branch of the Sage family," Theodore explained. "We share a common ancestor with her late husband."
"Late husband?" Helena asked, confused by her Grandfather’s words.
"He was one of the conspirators who wanted your father dead," Theodore explained. "He was part of the plot, and when I found out about his involvent, I ensured that he would suffer."
Helena nodded as she carried a grim expression on her face.
"When I got my hands on her husband, he said she died in childbirth," Theodore explained. "I knew she was not happy with the decision to end the engagent. She was looking forward to being the wife of the Grand Warlock’s heir, it is a position held in high esteem."
"Her womb would have carried on the Grand Warlock’s bloodline," Dora explained. "It is traditionally a great honor for Witches."
"So we know why she wants dead, but not how she managed to stay," Helena humd. "I’m assuming she had other witches and warlocks on her side who stayed."
"It would seem so," Dora said, nodding in agreent.
"The book in the library had a list of all witches and warlocks that remained, we can use it as a reference," Helena said. "But I don’t rember seeing Falon’s na in the book."
"Could it be an impostor?" Dora asked as she looked at her brother.
"Falon was a prominent figure in the Coven, so it’s possible that the person Helena t wasn’t actually Falon," Theodore said.
He then glanced at his granddaughter and looked at her, clearly hesitating with sothing.
"You have an idea?" Roo asked the Grand Warlock.
Theodore nodded as he kept his gaze locked on Helena.
"You don’t think it’s worth hearing out?" Roo question.
"No," Theodore said. "It’s worth it but I’m not sure if I’ll be breaking my Granddaugher’s trust with it."
"What is it, Grandpa?" Helena asked.
"Will you let see your mories?" Theodore asked.
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