A/N: I edited the end of the other chapter slightly. However, I added it here in a flashback for all of you.

Thanks to all who have favorited and/or followed this story so far!


Chapter 2

Epiphany

Previously

...

"I did! I already- I... I..." Tess began to shake, backing up slowly, gripping at her head as it exploded in pain. But Max's eyes weren't locked on her face, or her pain, or anything else along those lines.

They were locked onto her left hand as it tapped away against Tess' leg...

Then, quick as a cobra, Max struck as his lips meshed to hers in a passionate dance. There was lust, and just a touch of the love the two had shared in a past life, but that wasn't what it was about, even as they ate at each other's faces, as her arms wrapped around his neck and his around her waist.

Tess realized that quickly and pulled away as if burned, but it was too late.

Max had made the connection and, in her agitate state, with her defenses down, he'd seen into her mind, into her memories. Tess backed away and glanced up at him with a tinge of fear as realization, followed by anger, founded themselves on the former king's face as a cold fury overtook him.

Because, he now knew, without a doubt, that it hadn't been Tess that had dealt the final blow that ended the life of Alex Whitman.

...

"Max..." Tess began, but he was already out the door, fuming. As the door slammed against the wall, Philip and Diane jumped slightly. The loved their son to death, but they would be lying if they said he wasn't scaring them right now.

"Max!" Tess called out again, chasing after him.

"I'm going to kill him!" Max growled out. The air shook as the heat in the house plummeted.

The Evans exchanged fearful looks at the words, Jesse appeared alarmed, while Isabel rounded on Tess, sure that the blond had done something to her brother.

"Max, you can't-" Tess began.

Max swerved around to face her faster than most humans could blink.

"He framed you, Tess! He framed you for murder! I am going to tear him limb from-"

"HE DOESN'T KNOW, DAMN IT!" Tess thundered, shutting Max up on the spot.

In an instant, he went from beat-red to confused and lost.

"Wha... What? What do you mean, he doesn't know? He was there!"

"He remembered what I wanted him to remember." Tess admitted.

Max stuttered for the next few seconds, lost for words, eyes darting around everywhere, trying to find meaning in the sea of confusion. Finally, his eyes snapped back on Tess and, when they did, they were lit with the same cold fury once more.

"Why the hell would you-"

"He's my brother, Max! I think you know exactly what that means!" Tess snapped with a sideways look at Isabel, who was slowly catching on to what the two other hybrids were discussing. And, quite frankly, it made her disgust in Tess grow tenfold.

How dare that bitch blame Kyle for the murder she had committed? And how dare Max believe that stupid little mindwarping slut?

Max's eyes wavered towards Isabel, and softly, he replied. "You'd do anything for them."

"Exactly. Besides, he may have dealt the final blow but the road up the block was all my doing, and I swear, Max, I don't give a flipping shit if you were my King in another lifetime, if you try to tell him about this-"

Max's head snapped back towards Tess so fast it was a wonder he didn't get whiplash.

"The others have to know!"

"You aren't going to tell them a damn thing!"

"What are you going to do? Mindrape me into submission?!"

"If you tell him, it will destroy him!"

"Max, You can't honestly tell me you believe her after all the lies she's told!" Isabel, fed up, finally cut in.

"She didn't tell me, I forced it out." Max snapped right back.

Isabel arched an eyebrow.

"How exactly did you pull that one off?"

Max froze. The guilt on his face was quickly tangible, followed by the quick scarlet blush that crawled up his throat.

"You... Oh." Isabel, momentarily stunned, fell into silence.

Silence.

"So... Who wants coffee?" Diane announced with an overly cheerful smile that gave her the appearance of being constipated as she clapped her hands together.

Incredulous eyes met hers.

"Me. Mixed with alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. Come to think of it, just alcohol would be fine." Jesse interjected.

Diane nodded and turned to her husband. Silently, he nodded in agreement. His eyes, however, were locked on Tess. without a doubt, he now knew she was involved in whatever it was Max and Isabel were involved in. He was trying to absorb in the information, but it was too much. A king? His adopted son was a king? Or, he was a king, even if he currently wasn't one? And someone had framed Tess for murder, or, technically, he hadn't framed her because Tess made him frame her.

Philip's head suddenly filled with the dull ache of a headache.

Max rounded on Tess once more.

"Who mindwarped Alex, Tess?" he demanded.

Isabel, and Tess, for that matter, turned to look at him incredulously.

"I already told you, damn it! I DID IT! How many damn times do I have to confess that it was-"

"It couldn't have been you, and you know it!"

"Max, it was her! Honestly, what are you trying to prove?"

Max turned to look at his sister.

"I checked the dates, Issy. Alex went off for his little 'vacation' in 'Sweden' when me and Tess were in New York! It physically couldn't have been her! ANd before you say, 'she programmed him before she left', Tess doesn't have the mental power to control someone else for a solid two months!" Max made his argument.

"You're trying to see innocence where there isn't any, Max. She's guilty! You accepted it before, why not now?"

"Because... It doesn't... It doesn't feel right. I now we're missing something."

Philip was trying to follow. So far, what he got was the following: Alex Whitman, the poor boy that had been killed last year in a tragic car crash, hadn't gone to Sweden at all. Someone had taken over his mind and made him do... Something for a solid two months. Tess, apparently, was telepathic or something along those terms and was the main suspect for the crime. Hmm.

Tess frowned.

"We never went to New York, Max..." she told him slowly.

All eyes snapped towards her as Max's eyes widened with a sudden realization. Tess didn't have the power to control someone else for a solid two months from a distance before making them spontaneously forget, but someone else they knew did. Someone short, with dark hair, and an annoying voice that made you want to just strangle him. It was at that moment that he realized that Alex hadn't been mindwarped all.

He'd been mindraped. And, apparently, so had Tess.

"Nicholas." he growled out as his fists clenched. Exchanging a look with Isabel, he saw as her own eyes widened with Max's epiphany.


a/n: I know that it looks like I'm stating Kyle killed Alex, abliet accidentally. However, not everything is as it seems!

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