Chapter 76


    Quickly , I switched routes , heading towards the pack headquarters before I changed my mind .


    I stopped at the entrance and looked at the guards .


    ” I wish to speak to Liam .


    ” I said quietly , not missing the way they looked at my mark .


    My stomach churned and I realised that what someone wore with pride , had be something awful


    for me , something to be leered and gawked at like a spectacle in a zoo .


    I moved : my hair forward , covering it .


    They opened the door , allowing me inside .


    Another guard escorted me through the halls , unlocking the next door and leading me to the cells .


    My heart thudded when w e slowed down .


    ” Do you wish to talk from outside miss or inside ? ” I don’t know …


    ” Outside is fine .


    ” I said quietly , my stomach twisting .


    I can’t do this … I can’t … Breathe … I stopped when I saw him , sitting in one o f the cells on the bed .


    His eyes were closed , his back against the wall .


    He looked as handsome as ever , dressed in a in white tee and grey sweatpants , his hair was falling


    in his eyes and my chest squeezed , the memory of him biting into my neck sent a shudder down my


    spine .


    Was it the sane Liam or the dark Liam sitting there ? As if sensing me watching him , his eyes snapped


    open and I stared at him , my heart racing .


    I balled my fists in a n attempt to stop shaking .


    I waited as the guards opened up a small narrow square window in therable ss walls of the room .


    I could hear his heart thundering through the opening , his eyes locked with mine and I realised I felt …


    scared , sick , tense , broken and anguished .


    The very realisation made me step back , I saw the guilt in his eyes before he looked I came here .


    But what am I here to say ? I couldn’t do it … I thought I could .


    … …….


    He stood up and walked over to the window , his eyes that were filled with a thousand emotions met


    mine .


    ” I … ” I couldn’t speak .


    ” Nothing I say can undo what I did , what I let my anger do .


    I shouldn’t have lost it … but I did and look at the consequences .


    ” He said quietly .


    Not once did his gaze go to my neck , and through the bond , I could feel his anguish and his pain .


    I knew that dark Liam was in there … ready to take over at any moment .


    In sudden rity , I realised what I needed to do .


    Even if it hurt him a little , I needed t o tell him the truth .


    My heart skipped a beat and I looked at him , needing to get my thoughts out there .


    ” A woman wears the mark of her mate with pride and happiness .


    We want the world to know we are imed and happy … I have dreamt of you marking me , countless


    times … but never had I ever thought it would be like this .


    ” I said quietly , trying to control the sadness in m y voice .


    It hurt telling him that , knowing that right now it wasn’t the dark Liam I was talking to but the Liam who


    held no ount of what he did .


    It didn’t make this pain go away though .


    ” I didn’t either .


    I can’t use the curse as an excuse ...


    That’s like saying I got drunk and assaulted someone but since I don’t remember … I’m not at fault .


    ” I get that .


    This wasn’t just going to go away , it was going to take time .


    ” I let my anger and jealousy take over and jumped to assumptions the moment I saw that picture .


    ” Liam said quietly .


    Picture ? ” What picture ? ” ” It doesn’t matter , it was just something that was posted under my door .


    I don’t deserve you and I can’t take back what I have done … but I can set you free .


    ” ” What are you- ” ” I Liam Westwood , reje- ” ” Stop it ! ” I shouted , my eyes zing in anger and pain


    as I felt the pull at my chest .


    How could he ? He closed his eyes and all I felt was his agony , his fists trembling slightly .


    ” Raven it’s for-


    ” ” I said stop ! ” How dare he ! ” Don’t make my decisions for me ! Just … Let me do what I want ! ” I


    shouted angrily .


    He frowned .


    ” You are better off without me .


    ” He said quietly .


    ” What I did was unforgivable .


    If w e reject one another , it’s for the best .


    ” ” I’ll reject you when I want to ! ” That was my decision to make , not his .


    Yes , I’m hurting .


    Yes , I’m angry .


    Yes , I’m broken , but I still love him .


    Although I didn’t know what the future held … I would do things for my happiness … and make my


    decisions for me .


    I would also break this curse , not for my mate , but for one of my best friends .


    The Liam of my childhood .


    ” Open the door .


    ” I said to the guard .


    He hesitated but I didn’t care , ring at him until he obliged .


    I stepped inside and he shut it , watching us apprehensively .


    ” I know you have been jealous and angry a t the entire situation , but Damon and I weren’t sneaking


    around that day .


    We were about to reject one another .


    ” I said quietly .


    His eyes widened in shock as he stared at me , as if seeing me for the first time .


    The realisation of the truth sinking in followed by the look of pure regret .


    ” Yeah … ” I said quietly , turning away .


    I could tell from just looking at him that h e would always regret those actions of his and the guilt would


    always remain .


    ” I am sorry … Although it can do nothing to help the pain I’ve put you through .


    ” He added quietly , I could hear him trying to stay strong , to make his voice sound emotionless but I


    could hear it , feel it … I stared ahead , my heart squeezing painfully .


    ” Maybe someday I’ll be able to ept it and I know that I’ll forgive you for it , but forgiveness and


    forgetting something are two different things .


    ” A part of me was telling me to stop , that I was hurting him , but I also knew I needed to do this for me ,


    to share what I was feeling .


    ” I love you , Liam , and as your friend … I’ll be here for you , and we will work on this curse .


    ”  But more than that … I don’t know … I really don’t know … What I did know was that I needed to heal


    myself first .


    I needed to stop just tolerating and living with whatever I was given .  I realise …


    I won’t be able to make anyone else happy if I myself wasn’t happy .


    I looked back at him , at the man I loved .


    M y chest squeezed painfully , I needed to stop thinking of him as the young Liam but see him for who he


    is , to see the goodness in him now and acknowledge his faults too .


    Only then can I really make any kind of decision .


    He didn’t speak .


    I walked out of the cell , each footstep echoing in my ears , the sound of our beating hearts and


    breathing loud in my ear .


    We could have done things differently …


    I could have been more firm , I should never have strung Damon along when I was only hurting him .


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    I knew deep down that h e was only getting hurt and in the process , it only pushed Liam further .


    I needed to stop behaving like a child and face every obstacle in life , no matter how painful they are .


    I needed to , for me .