Chapter 66


    “I have to take dad for brain scans next week I am hoping the Alpha wille over like he said. He


    said he would watch them for me,” she sighs


    “Brock, what did you have to give to do that?” I ask, and she blushes, not looking happy about that. I


    click my tongue, already knowing the answer


    “No one else?” I asked her, and I could only imagine what she had to do for her to get him over to


    watch all these kids.


    “We can try to help find you some help?” Kyson offers, and she looks at him hopefully.


    “Please. No one is willing to help, and I have my examsing back up.”


    “You’re back studying ounting?” I ask her.


    “Trying when I get a chance,” she says. I smile sadly before I ce my cup in the sink and nod,


    knowing we will have to leave soon.


    “You mind if I look around?” I ask her, and she shakes her head.


    “Of course not, but upstairs is a little messy,” she says. Walking back to the main hall and into the living


    room, I see the kids huddled around the tiny box TV in the corner.


    “How many kids are here now?” I ask her.


    *111, Katrina answers. I sigh, looking around. The ce is falling apart, and suddenly wish I could take


    them with me. Katrina couldn’t look after them by herself, and this ce was falling apart. I swallow,


    taking the set of steps upstairs, while Katrina tries to settle the kids that were bing rowdy with


    afternoon tea approaching.


    I look in all the rooms to see they are dusty; the beds are not made, and clothes piled on the floors.


    “What are you doing?” Kyson asks me, following me around.


    “You don’t have to follow.” I tell him. I don’t know why I came up here, yet I swallowed as I stopped at


    the stairs leading to the attic, dread filling me. That was mine and Abbie’s room. How often were we


    forced to crawl those stairs after ourshings or our chores? It felt like a lifetime ago, yet also


    yesterday, everything is still so fresh.


    Kyson touches my arm, and I jump, stuck in my memories. “Are you alright?” he asks before turning to


    Liam and Trey. He nods toward the stairs and they go back down them. “I’m fine,” I tell him, blinking


    back tears. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I grip the broken banister and force myself


    to climb the steps. The door handle jiggles in my hand as I push it open.


    “Why did you want toe up here?” Kyson asks, looking around at the small space. It was the same,


    everything left untouched. One filthy mattress we shared, one tiny dirt-covered window, and a bedside


    dresser. That was it. I went to the bedside dresser and opened the top drawer. I found a spaghetti


    ne that one of the kids made for us and an old tunic. I hold it up and look at it. We hated these


    dresses and the stupid peasant skirts she would make us wear.


    “Azalea?” Kyson whispers behind me.


    “It’s mine and Abbie’s room” I tell him. My voice sounded distant to even my own ears.


    Anger boils in my veins as I peer around the small tight space she kept us in. The other side was used


    for storage and had a cupboard that Mrs Daley would lock us in.


    “Azalea, are you alright?” Kyson asks, and I nce at him. He is turning the wooden chair that sat in


    the corner. Suppressed memoriese back about why that chair was up here. We had broken one


    simr, trying to get the Christmas stuff out of storage. Mrs. Daley made us hold the damn thing above


    our heads, saying we needed to know the weight of the burden she carried having to look after us.


    Most would think it’s just a chair, but both of us holding two legs each above our heads for hours, we


    learned even the lightest things be heavy after hours. Each time we would drop it, she would hit


    the back of our legs with her cane.


    Seeing Kyson move it, the sound of it screeching along the floor made rage burn through me. I growl,


    snatching the chair from him, and Kyson jumps, startled, as I toss it at the shitty little window. ss


    rains down everywhere as I stalked toward the chair. Yet my focus was solely on destroying the damn


    thing, like if I destroyed it, it would erase the memory. Erase Abbie’s cries as her knees buckled from


    the cane. I picked it back up and started smashing it into the floor. Breaking it to pieces, the wood


    splintering off with each crash on the floor that shook under my feet until Kyson grabs my arms.


    “Hey, shh, shh” he says, ncing down at the chair leg in my hand. He grabs it. “Give it to me, Love,”


    he says softly before he takes it from me. My hands shook as I caught my breath and Kyson cups my


    face in his hands, forcing me to look at him. His eyes watching my face as tried to regather myself. Yet


    this ce, it was like I never left it. Some part of me would always be trapped in this ce.


    “I hate this ce! Hate her! I hate what she did to us!” I cried, bursting into tears. I hated this ce,


    hated everything about it, hated that one ce could haunt and stain so much of my heart of and soul,


    like it was screaming out to me telling me it would always hold me here and I would never escape it.


    The floodgates opened like I had been holding everything in for too long.


    “She ruined us.” I sobbed.


    a 90%


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    “No, love. She ruined nothing. And you’re safe now. She is dead, she can’t hurt you no more, this ce


    is just a ce,” he says, hugging me. I bury my face in his chest, feeling like an idiot. It was just a chair.


    I broke a perfectly good chair. I inhale his scent, letting it calm me before ! chuckle, knowing how many


    whippings I would get if Mrs. Daley heard me crying. Kyson probably thinks I lost my damn mind, and


    even ! questioned that possibility. I sniffle, feeling stupid and childish.


    “You okay?” he asks and I nod, wiping my face and ncing around the small space and the broken


    chair. I needed to leave. I couldn’t stay in here any longer. It hurt too much, and I wanted out, suddenly


    feeling ustrophobic. I rushed down the steps needing air, feeling like the walls were closing in


    around me and that I was going to wake up at any moment and everything had been a dream, and I


    was really stuck here still. Kyson chases after me, and I rush through the kitchen and burst into the


    living room, headed for the front door. But the faces of the children had my feet halting. Trey and Liam


    looked over at us, rmed, and Kyson nearly ran into the back of me as I halted.


    Little eyes peered back at me, and Katrina stared also startled. “Azalea, dear, are you okay?” she asks,


    but I shake my head. I was not okay, but as I nced around this dump, I was no longer trapped here.


    But all these children were. I look at Kyson in desperation. He seems to get what I wasn’t asking out


    loud.


    “No!” he exims, his eyes going wide. I tilt my head to the side, but he folds his arms across his chest


    and shakes his head.


    “I’m not asking!” I tell him, and his lips part and he nces around at the children.


    “No! What am I going to do with all these kids?” he hisses at me, but I ignore him and turn to Katrina.


    “Ring the bus depot and find a driver,” I tell her, and she seems confused.


    “You want a bus?” she asks.


    “Yes. Maybe two. I am taking them with me,” I tell her, and she gasps, rushing over to me.


    “You want to take all the children?” she asked, ncing at Kyson behind me, who was fuming.


    “Yes. So ring the bus depot. I want a bus here now,” I tell her, turning to face Kyson. He growls but


    nods to her, and she rushes off.


    “Are you insane?” he asks, and I look at the children.


    “Either I stay, or theye,” I tell him.


    “What are we going to do with all of them?” he asks.


    “Some of the Lycan families might take them in” Trey offers, and I nod.


    “And where do you think I am going to put them?”


    “The castle is big enough,” I tell him.


    “Azalea!” he growls.


    “No! You said I am running things here, and I say they areing. Now get on board my King, or get


    out of my way,” I tell him. He growls.


    “Yes, I said that, but I didn’t think you were going to bring an entire orphanage back with us!”


    “Fine. You tell them then. Say no to them, Kyson,” I tell him, motioning toward the kids. He swallows


    and nces at their little faces and I smirk, knowing very well he wouldn’t or could utter those words.


    He presses his lips in a tight line.


    “Fine!” he growls, and Liam chuckles.


    “Come on, kids. Uncle Liam is helping you bust out of this crap box! Come on, let’s go!” Liam says,


    waving to all the kids to follow him. They nce around at each other and look at Kyson, unsure. He


    sighs and shakes his head.


    “Go on then. Follow Uncle Liam!” he says, motioning them to follow him. The kids don’t need to be told


    twice and rush after an excitable Liam and Trey. Iughed, following them.


    “Where to my Queen?” Liam calls.


    “The town square. There is a bus stop.’ I tell him. Katrina races out on the phone, telling the driver to


    come to the town square.


    “You’re lucky I love you.” Kyson growls, grabbing my hand. Iughed before racing after the kids and


    tugging Kyson along with me.


    When we arrived back at the town square, I could see the Alpha still loading the trailer. Alpha Brock


    nced over, noticing the children. He snarls and stomps over to them.


    “What are you all doing here?” he snarls, and Liam growls at him, making him jump, having not seen


    him. Alpha Brock backs up with his hands up while the minute’s all stand frozen in fear. It angered me


    that they feared him.


    “Seeing as you are still stacking boxes, I am assuming you didn’t make the 18 minutes time frame?” I


    ask him, walking through the crowd of children.


    we got dyed,” he mutters. “See, thest box. Everything is there,” he says, pointing to his father,


    who was


    He backs up further, “No. Um cing a tarp over the trailer


    “That wasn’t what I asked. I asked if you did it in 18 minutes?” his lips part, and he nces at his father


    when one of the guards steps forward.


    “That is thest box, my Queen. But no, they didn’t get it done in the timeframe,” he answers, and I


    nod, turning to look at Alpha Brock.


    “Hmm… On the stage, both of you!” I ordered, my voiceing out strong along with my aura, which I


    was finding more effortless and easier to use. They both rushed up the steps and stood at the top of


    them.


    “My King. is this really necessary? We did what she asked.” Alpha Dean says.


    “But you didn’t. Your Queen gave you 18 minutes, and you didn’tplete the task in that time frame.”


    Kyson answers him as I wander over to the fruit stall that was just closing its shutters.


    “How much for all of it?” I ask the elderly woman. She jumps, not seeing mee up behind her.


    “You!” she sneers, pointing her withered old finger at me.


    *Excuse me?” I ask her.


    “You! The rogue girl!”


    “My name is Azalea Landeena! You will address me as so unless you want to join your Alpha!” I


    snarled. She stutters out an apology.


    “Now I asked you a question. How much for the lot of it?”


    “You want the entire shop?” she asks. I shake my head.


    “No, just the fruit and vegetables,”


    “lum… just take what you want.”


    “I don’t want to send you broke, ma’am. Despite yourck of manners,”


    Kysones up behind me and touches my shoulder. “We have fruit at home,” he whispers, and I nod,


    picking up a tomato.


    “I know” I tell him, turning around, tossing it in the air, and catching it as I walk and stop in front of the


    stage.


    “Kids,” I call out, and they all turn to face me.


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    “Grab some fruit,” they rush off, taking fruit from the shelves.


    They all return as the buses pull up. “Now, to show you the same dignity you showed me, Alpha,” I tell


    them. Some of the children are eating their fruit while I chuck my tomato at the Alphas. My tomato hit


    Alpha Brock square in the face, stting with an audible sound and covering him in tomato juices.


    Alpha Brock growls when Treyughs before screaming.


    “Food fight!” Like a mini-army, the kids turn. Their eyes light up with mischief as they toss their fruit and


    vegetables at the Alphas. Who try to dodge their attacks but can’t step off the small stage. When they


    are finished, I tell the children to grab more fruit to eat as a snack on the way before helping load them


    onto the buses. Once that is done, I wander back over to the Alphas covered in bits of fruits and


    vegetables and juices.


    “You will both step down as Alpha until a new one is appointed. And …” I looked at Kyson, needing his


    help: I wasn’t sure how to strip someone of their title.


    Kyson’s aura rushes out, bringing them both to their knees. “I King Kyson of the Valkyrie Kingdom,


    hereby strip you Alpha Dean and Alpha Brock of your Alpha titles! I dere you both the very thing you


    despise so much. I dere rogue until you are epted into another pack or your new Alpha deres


    you pack!” Kyson says, stripping both of them of their titles,


    “Wait! Wait! I will do better!” Brock begs, wanting to step off the stage, but he is stuck under my


    command.


    “You may approach” I tell him, and he jumps down and falls to his knees in front of me.


    “Please! Please! I will do as you ask! Anything!” he begs, and I look at Kyson, who shrugs and tells me


    it is up to me. I bite my lip. Yet he had a point. They needed an Alpha. ncing around, Katrina held up


    her hand behind Liam. She was technically Beta blood, and she was studying ounting. I smirk,


    knowing there was nothing more that Alpha Brock would hate more than having to answer to a woman.


    “You answer to Katrina now. And until she deems you fit, you remain as rogues. You will also make


    sure she has time to finish her course and help her any way she asks.” I tell him.


    “She is a woman!” Alpha Brock snaps at me.


    “Yes! But she now so much more than that. She is your Alpha!” I tell him, and Katrina smirks and folds


    her arms, and I look at Kyson, knowing he was the only one right now that could make this happen. He


    would have to teach me to give someone their titles because I had


    a funny feeling it wasn’t the same as stripping them of their mate bond. And I was right.


    Kyson waves Katrina forward and gets her to kneel, and he slices his palm, letting his ws slip out on


    his other hand.


    “Open your mouth open,” Kyson tells her, and she obeys.


    He squeezes his fist, letting his blood drip into her mouth. Before he says a pledge, she repeats it


    before dering her as Alpha. She gasps, clutching her chest, and falls backward on her bottom, and I


    could feel her aura slip out stronger than before, showing she was now in charge.


    Alpha Brock roars, getting to his feet, and he charges at her, and she res at him, rising to her feet


    calmly.


    “Sit!” she orders, and he freezes, falling on his ass. Alpha Dean hung his head, looking ashamed of his


    son’s behavior. I was shocked at how easy it was for Katrina tomand him. I hoped it got easy for


    me like that, and I would be able to haveplete control of my aura andmand as she did. He fell


    to his knees in front of her, doing as shemanded.


    Once Kyson was sure Katrina had both Alphas under control, he escorted me back to the Limo and I


    climbed in the back and slid across the seat. My hands shook with adrenaline and I felt a little giddy.


    The feeling wearing off as the car started. I nced out the window as the bus and the cars followed,


    however the bus headed down a different street, as the orphanage street was too narrow for the bus,


    with its low hanging trees to fit. We slow a little as the orphanagees into view out my window.


    That ce will never hurt anymore children. I unclip my seatbelt and tap on the window. Trey wound


    the ss window down and I told them to stop. The car does and one of the other cars follows after the


    bus, while the other three stop behind us.


    I open my door when Kyson grips the back of my pants. “You don’t need to go back in there. There is


    nothing there for you anymore,” he whispers, but I wanted no remnants of this ce.


    “I know,” I tell him and he lets me go and sighs. I climb out as do the guards, taking positions around


    the cars. Treyes over to me.


    “What’s wrong?” I shake my head, moving toward Liam as he steps out of the car.


    “Have you got a lighter?” I ask knowing he smoked. He lifts an eyebrow at me.


    “Terrible habit. Shouldn’t smoke when up the duff,” he tells me and I roll my eyes and hold my hand out


    for the lighter.


    “I’m not smoking.” I tell him, and he pulls a packet out before lighting a smoke.


    “Since we have stopped,” he says, handing me the lighter. I step over the gate, and Kyson grips my


    arm.


    “What are you doing?”


    “Making sure no more kids evere back here.” I tell him, shaking his arm off. Guards rush ahead of


    me as I walk around the outside of the building to the small garden shed out the back. Kyson follows


    but just watches me as I reach above the low hanging tin roof for the padlock key. I feel around before


    pulling it down and unlocking the padlock.


    Ducking my head, I step inside and see a red jerrycan. I grab it off the small shelf and shake it to find it


    had a bit of fuel left in it for the mower. I crack the lid and the fumes confirm it is indeed petrol. Stepping


    out of the garden shed. Kyson gasps,ing over and snatching


    it from me.


    “You are not ying with petrol!” he growls.


    “Give it to me.” I tell him, holding my hand out. But he refused.


    “Give me the lighter. I will do it,” he says, holding his hand out. I didn’t care who did it, as long as the


    ce was reduced to nothing but soot and ash. I hand him the lighter when Liam bounces on the balls


    of his feet like an excited kid in a candy store.


    “Can I help? Liam likes ying with fire.” he says, his eyes sparkling mischievously.


    I nce inside the small shed when Liam clears his throat behind me.


    “No fuel needed. I always have lighter fluid,” he says and I look at him over my shoulder to see him


    rummage inside his jacket.


    “Here, hold this,” he says, passing me a knife. “Ah, and this,” he says, dropping a pistol in my hand.


    Kyson growls, snatching it from me.


    “Liam!” he scolds him.


    “It’s in here somewhere,” Liam mutters, pulling out an apron covered in blood. He sniffs it and pulls a


    face. “I was wondering what that smell was!” Liam mutters, chucking the apron over his shoulder and


    rummaging around some more. “Ah, found it!” he announces, holding up a bottle of lighter fluid. He


    then turns to Trey, who was watching him, like Liam was a madman.


    “Here ferret face fuck, hold my shit!” Liam says, dumping his apron and taking the knife from me and


    his pistol from Kyson. He loads up Trey’s arms, before removing his jacket.


    “Genuine leather. Can’t ruin that,” Liam says, dumping it in Trey’s arms. Kyson growls as Liam skips


    like a kid to the back door. He gives a


    ninja cry, before kicking in the back door, and Kyson shakes his head.


    “Can’t take this idiot anywhere.” he curses, stalking after Liam with the jerrycan in hand. Trey nods for


    me to follow him.


    “Think that man needs a psych evaluation,” Trey mutters to me and nudges me with his elbow. Iugh,


    following Trey back out the front with the guards surrounding us


    “Call the fire brigade. Don’t want it getting out of control,” Trey tells one of the guard’s, who pulls his


    phone out. Leaning against the hood of the limo, I listen to Liam singing at the top of his lungs inside


    the house. I also hear ss shattering before hees to the front window on the top floor. He waves


    and Iugh before waving back.


    “That man is unhinged,” I tell Trey as Kysones out, shaking his head. He reeked of petrol fumes.


    Kyson stops beside me.


    “The fool is going to kill himself one day,” Kyson says, when Liam suddenly sets the curtains of the


    room on fire, with the lighter he stole from Kyson. He starts cat calling out the window and dancing.


    “Liam, get out of there! The room is on fire, you twat!” Kyson calls out and Liam stops the weird ass fire


    dance he was doing. The entire room goes up and he yanks the curtain rod of the window.


    “You smell smoke?” he asks, smiling, and showing all his teeth. Kyson shakes his head again, as Liam


    climbs out the window, dancing on the roof and chanting about fire gods, or some crap. The room


    beside him catches on fire and Liam rubs his hands together, getting ready to jump off the small porch


    roof, when he suddenly vanishes. I blink before hearing a crash, as he fell through the porch roof. He


    groans sitting up, while Trey erupted inughter.


    Liam holds his hand up. “I’m okay!” he announces before rolling on his side. A tile falls off and hits his


    shoulder before shattering on the ground.


    “That hurt my fanny!” he says, rubbing his butt and skipping down the steps when the entire porch


    copsed.


    “Wow! Talk about in the nick of time!” Liam says.


    “I swear, you have nine lives!” Kyson tells him with a shake of his head. We watched the ce burn,


    the roof caving in and the air filled with ck smoke. Once we heard the sirens on the way we climbed


    in the limo, knowing they would contain what was left of the burning rubble. But as the wind carried the


    smoke away I felt myself rx, as if it was also carrying my past with it. Ivy was no more. Mrs. Daley


    was no more. I knew my past and what we endured would always remain, but the sense of relief that


    came with watching that ce burn gave me “hope, that maybe the memories would one day fade.


    Maybe they wouldn’t hurt as much. Kyson reaches over and squeezes my hand, and I


    look at him.


    “Ready to go home?” he asks, and I nod.


    I was ready to go home, and for once the castle felt like home, as much as I was petrified of going back


    knowing there was someone there trying to sabotage everything, ruin me. It still didn’t bring the fear


    this ce did. And for once I felt free. Free of everything and this ce. Free to try to move on.


    Because one thing I knew, if I could survive eight harrowing years here, I could survive anything.


    Nothing breaks a soul more than being suppressed. Nothing breaks someone more than being


    shackled and trapped in a repetitive loop of torture. Kyson and I had our differences, different beliefs


    that came with different upbringings, different views of how we should be. Kyson was raised with a


    silver spoon, while I was raised with whips and canes. Both of us had our own struggles to contend


    with, and I knew what Kyson struggled with most was insecurities. While what I struggled with most,


    what was beaten into me, engrained making me meek and fearful of everything, something I was trying


    to work on, yet you can’t beat a dog every day and expect it not to flinch when you pat it. Everything


    takes time, but I knew Kyson could be patient. I just had to remember I had to be patient with him, too.


    I knew, I knew little about who I was, but I trusted Kyson would eventually teach me. As much as he


    angered me, I did trust him. And after today and him letting me have control, I trusted he would also


    one day let me find my voice. The one that was squashed and was suppressed living here. So with


    those thoughts in mind, yes, I was ready to go home. Home was something I never thought I would


    have, but now I realized home was anywhere Kyson was.


    We met up with the bus at the first service station on the way out of town, which was waiting parked on


    the side of the road for our convoy. The bus followed us back to the castle. I felt terrible for all the


    children being cooped up on the bus that long. Although we did stop twice to let them burn off some


    energy, and at thest stop, the children were bing too rowdy, so Liam climbed on the bus with


    them. When we


    finally reached the castle, it was early morning. We had arrived and were pulling into the castle when


    Kyson shook my arm to wake me.


    “We are home, Love,” Kyson whispers, and I yawn. It was still dark outside, but the castle was lit up like


    a Christmas tree.


    “rice and everyone set up the ballroom as a sleeping quarter for the children,” Kyson tells me, and I


    was d he thought ahead. I was too busy sleeping and forgot they would need somewhere to sleep.


    Kyson however, seems to think of everything.


    I climb out of the limo, and Kyson grips my arm to steady me since I was still half asleep. The bus door


    opens, and Liam stumbles out, nearly getting knocked over as the kids rush out behind him. He


    stumbles past us. “I need a fucking drink!” he growls, looking worse for wear as he makes his way


    inside.


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