《The Beast's Possession》


 1: Stay away from my daughter.

    **Aife pov**


    When I woke up today with an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach, I didn''t think much of it. Even when the feeling intensified and turned into one of dread, looming over me like a dark, dangerous shadow, I still dismissed it. I should''ve paid attention. I should''ve alerted my dad about something being wrong.


    But I didn''t. I let this ''something wrong'' happen. And it wasn''t just a silly gut feeling. It was the beginning of the inevitable demise of our pack.


    Once the screams and growls slowly faded and turned into heavy, deathly silence, I snuck out of the packhouse and ran around it, towards the backyard. Never in my life would I have thought that ignoring a gut feeling would bring consequences near as vile as the massacre I was witnessing.


    Bodies, all I could see were bodies, scattered around like broken toys. The once beautiful, lush green grass was turned into an ugly painting of dark red.


    My hands shook and bile rose up in my throat as I took the first steps inside the epicenter of the massacre. Somewhere, out of my sight, another fight started, alerting me of theck of time I had.


    Each step felt heavier than the one before, but I pushed myself to move forward. If there were any survivors, they needed immediate medical attention.


    Even with a clear goal in my mind, I couldn''t ignore the bodies that were lying in pools in their own blood, now mixing with the blood of their families and friends.


    Survivors. There had to be survivors here. No one attacked packs like this, no one went as far as wiping out centuries of continuous bloodlines just because they had the power to do so.


    Once I finally stopped, I couldn''t fight off the tears as the realization sunk in. They hadn''t spared anyone, every person, every once skillful warrior was shredded to pieces and left to rot. Worst of all, while all I could do was stand there and stare at the aftermath of the vicious attack, more of our warriors were ughtered.


    I wanted to help, to do something, anything, but how was I supposed to, if my body refused to move even when I was willing it with all my might? "Aife! Aife, what are you doing there?" I heard dad shout, but even his voice, the desperation and fear that filled it didn''t help me move.


    My eyes were glued on the bodies, on the bloodshed, eyes still wide open, and the look of pure horror on faces of the fallen.


    "Get back in the house! Now!" He screamed at the top of his lungs just in time with a ground-shaking growl that tore from the cover of the forest.


    I had heard many times before how people described a sensation so terrifying, the only words they could find fitting were ''blood-freezing'', a feeling I never thought I would experience. But I did.


    The growl held so much power, everyone froze, even the enemies that were ripping and cutting throats just mere moments ago stopped.


    Forcing down the lump that formed in my throat, I balled my fists and slowly spun on my heel to look at the forest. Maybe I wouldn''t see anything, perhaps it was an attempt to recall the enemy warriors, but deep down, I knew it couldn''t be the case. And it wasn''t.


    A fully nude, massive, dirty man emerged from the cover of the woods. Even from this far away, I could see he was impressive - hovering over the few that followed after him, his body more defined than those of his followers. He had to be the leader of the monstrous attackers.


    The vicious stranger''s eyes were trained on me as he started walking in the direction of the packhouse, refusing to avert his gaze even for a split second while my eyes desperately sought out my father.


    Once I noticed him, held down by two men, I wanted to run to his aid, but the attempt was stopped before it happened with one, sharp word.


    "Don''t!" The stranger snarled.


    As my gaze snapped back to him, I instantly found the strength to back away. He looked murderous. The way he loomed closer to me like a true predator nearly made my heart stop.


    He was no further from me than a couple of steps when I slipped on the blood and fell backwards,nding on top of a pile of bodies.


    When he got closer, I noticed the man had eyes so ck and void, I knew those were the eyes of the killer. The eyes that had seen so much suffering, pain and fear, yet never spared a soul in their way. His stare alone sent shivers down my spine.


    And yet, although everyone could see how I struggled to crawl away, he kept closing in.


    "Stop!" He growled.


    I did. I couldn''t believe it, but I followed hismand andpletely froze up. I didn''t move even my hand which was now covering the face of one of the fallen warriors.


    My heart hammered in my chest so fast, I felt like it was trying to break out and run as far from my body as possible.


    "Get away from her! Get away from my daughter! You monster, stay away from my daughter!" I heard my father scream.


    I was sure if I dared to look in his direction, I would see him thrash against the men who were holding him down, but I couldn''t avert my gaze from the predator in front of me.


    "Silence!" Another terrifying snarl left the stranger as he stopped right in front of me.


    The longer he stared at me, the smaller I felt. It seemed like he had noticed that because soon, the corner of his lip twitched, as if he was trying to suppress a smile. I, for one, couldn''t imagine a monster like him being capable of smiling. Capable of emotions...


    I could still hear dad''s voice in the background until the words turned into a muffed mess. He sounded like someone had forced their hand over his mouth to silence him.


    "Another word and I might give into the temptation of doing unspeakable things to your daughter, right in front of your eyes," the brute announced as his gaze finally tore away from me and focused on my dad.


    I wasn''t sure what was worse, but for the split second of freedom, I selfishly enjoyed it.


    "Remove your hand, Soren. Old man will have to waste his breath on this," he spoke again, slowly turning his head and pinning me down with his gaze again.


    My bottom lip quivered, so I quickly captured it between my teeth to hide how terrified I was. He most likely could sense my fear from miles away, but I was too stubborn to openly show any.


    "What do you want from us? What have we done to deserve this? Why are you ughtering our people?" Dad''s words rang out but fell on deaf ears.


    The stranger pointed his finger at me and snarled. "Her. Give me her and I will let the remaining ones live. Give her willingly or I will take her after I finish ughtering the few pack members you have left."

 2: Pleasure doing business with you.

    **Aife pov**


    "What?" Dad screamed.


    As I stillid on top of the warriors that had once fiercely fought to protect the pack members, I realized just how big of a coward I was. There was nothing I wished for more than the ability for my soul to leave my body and escape the cold-


    blooded man.


    A strange noise left the stranger; I couldn''t tell if it was a snarl or a huff, perhaps both.


    He didn''t offer more than the words he already had spoken. "Her. To save the pack, you must give her to me."


    "Have you lost it? I''m not giving up my daughter! I won''t allow it!"


    From the corner of my eye, I could see dad''s attempts to fight against the invaders, but I knew it was to no avail. For whatever reason he needed me, the man wouldn''t leave empty-handed, regardless of what decision my dad made.


    I knew dad wouldn''t give up on me. He would never give me to someone, even if he had to protect me with his life, but I refused to ept that as an option.


    No more blood would be spilled because of me.


    Tears filled my eyes as I focused my gaze on the monstrous man before me. I licked my lips and gathered the little courage I had as I cleared my throat and spoke up, "I will go."


    The moment words left me, dad started screaming, thrashing against the men twice as hard while the stranger offered me his hand like some bloody prince charming.


    I shook my head as I struggled to get back to my feet. Everything within me screamed to run for my life, but if the future of an entire pack, or what was left of it, was in my hands, as the Alpha''s daughter, I had to take the responsibility for them. Once I managed to straighten my body, my knees nearly gave out from under me.


    "Aife, don''t be stupid, don''t do this! He will kill you if you go with him! If we are meant to die, we will die together, as a pack, as a family!" Dad screamed in thest attempt to change my mind.


    I wanted to, but I couldn''t look at him. Not like this.


    The once mighty and respected Alpha, forced on the ground by someone unworthy of the air my father breathed. He was a prideful man, a man who would rather die than be forced to live on his knees. Thest thing my father needed was for his only child to see him like this.


    "Smart girl you have here, Alpha Lucian. It''s a pleasure doing business with you, as always," the bruteughed as he took a step closer to me.


    I wanted to back away, to create more distance between us, but I didn''t dare to move a muscle. For the pack. I was doing this for the pack. For my family. For the warriors who still fought for their lives, for the mothers and children hidden in the packhouse. For them.


    As the brute stopped in front of me and bent down, I held my breath. I could feel his disgusting hands on my skin as he hooked an arm under my knees and tossed me over his shoulder like a sack.


    "Let''s go, guys, we''re finished here. The drinks are on me tonight," heughed as he spun around and started walking towards the forest.


    As the murderous men hollered and dropped everything to follow their leader, I stole thest nce at my father, mouthed a weak ''I''m sorry'' and closed my eyes. I didn''t want to see the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. One day, he would understand and ept why I made this decision.


    As the stranger carried me away from the only home I had known, I realized that in a matter of hours my life had been turned upside down. Future wasn''t as clear as I thought it was, the ns I made with my parents faded like a distant memory, and now I could only guess what was to happen to me.


    Nothing good, that was for sure. The only thought that eased my mind was that by sacrificing myself and my freedom, I had saved our surviving pack members.


    The further away he carried me, the worse I felt. Deep down, I knew I had no right to cry as it wasn''t me who suffered the most, but I couldn''t stop the tears from escaping my eyes, no matter how hard I squeezed them shut.


    There wasn''t a voice inside my head to give me answers or soothe the pain yet, I still had to wait for another three months for the day toe, so I waspletely on my own here. If I at least had my wolf, I wouldn''t feel so scared, so alone. All those thoughts rushed through my mind even as I struggled to erase them. I had no right to feel sorry for myself as the consequences came from the decision I made against my father''s wishes.


    "That''s one fine ass you got there. Any ns for it?" Someoneughed, their words encouraged byughter and shouts.


    I heard the sound of the heavy p before the pain spread through my body. The brute that carried me had pped my ass and joined his followers in mocking my misery as if someone''s life and future was just a game for them.


    "I have a few things nned for this one. You''re all invited to watch. Who knows, if the mood is right, I might invite some to join in on the fun."


    The statement made my blood freeze. I was no stranger to intimacy even though I hadn''t had any with a man yet, but I knew enough about it to understand what he was implying to.


    Wasn''t the ughter enough for these savages? Hadn''t they satisfied their sick, twisted desires with the amount of blood they had spilled? Wasn''t the carnage enough for them?


    "I volunteer!" Someone shouted, startling me out of my thoughts.


    And again, the words were followed with waves of unpleasant, maliciousughter. Cold shivers ran down my spine, all of my senses went into overdrive as I tried to listen in and ignore the conversations at the same time.


    The only thing I could do was beg that the Moon Goddess had a n for me. Perhaps this was nothing but her test to see where my loyalties were, how far I was willing to go for my pack?


    Regardless of what was to happen next, I hoped that if death was in my cards, it woulde before the savages got the chance to have their way with me. At this point, I was ready to take my own life before I gave them the satisfaction of doing it for me.


    "Shit, I almost forgot the grand finale," the leader snarled.


    He spun around and tossed me off his shoulder so fast, I didn''t realize what was happening until he grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me up to my feet. Just to add more pain to the misery, he didn''t let go of my hair and kept pulling on it even as I stood straight.


    A hiss of pain left my lips as he leaned closer to whisper, "look straight ahead."


    My eyes focused on the packhouse in the distance. At first, I thought he stopped to mock me, but as the sound of an explosion echoed in the forest and the force of it shook the ground, I watched the house disappear behind a massive wall of dust and mes.


    "No!" I screamed and tried to run, ignoring his vice-like grip on my hair. Somehow, I managed to spin around and hit him straight in the chest. "You liar! You lied! You said you would let them live!" I screamed at the top of my lungs while all they did wasugh at my pain.


    I was ready to w his heart out, but something hit my head and thest thing I remembered was their mockingughter as the darkness enveloped me.

 3: You deserve a treat.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I was startled awake to moreughter. However, this time, it wasn''t the mocking, uglyugher that I heard before I lost consciousness.


    Theughter that surrounded me now was joyful and genuine, nothing what I expected of vicious creatures like my kidnappers. Although fully awake, I didn''t open my eyes, fearing the unknown, anything that might happen once they realized I was awake. And the fear was spot-on, because seconds after the thought ran through my mind, theughter died down.


    "Look at this, boys. The sleeping beauty has finally decided to bless us, heathens, with her godly presence," someone snarled to my right.


    My heart was hammering in my chest, I was so scared that I couldn''t breathe, and my lungs felt like they were set aze.


    "We know you''re awake, stop ying your stupid games, this isn''t the wondend anymore, princess," another voice joined.


    This one I recognized. It was the man who took me.


    Slowly, I opened my eyes and blinked to adjust to the bright light above me,


    not ready to face whatever was going on around me, but it wasn''t like I had any other option but to follow themands and silently suffer until I found a way to escape them - dead or alive. "There you go, wasn''t that hard, huh?" He kept mocking me while all I could do was focus on stopping the tears from spilling over.


    They had seen my rock bottom, my desperation, fear and pain. All of them had seen enough, I refused to give them more satisfaction of seeing me suffer.


    "Stand up!" The leader barked.


    The way he spoke to me... It was surreal. As if I was his enemy, as if I had hurt him or taken something precious from him, not the other way around.


    It was unfair. He was a stranger, the first time we met was literally when he attacked my pack and killed my family. Why did he act like he had the right to pretend he was the victim? The man was far from it.


    And yet, gritting my teeth and balling my fists, I slowly sat up to realize I had been sleeping on a long table.


    My eyes quickly took in the surroundings. The table was overflowing with different foods and beverages. The view was tempting enough for me to remember that I hadn''t had a bite for hours, but despite the protests of my stomach, I acted as if it didn''t affect me.


    As my gaze slowly lifted from the mouth-watering view, I stole a nce at the faces around me.


    From what I could see, only men sat at the table. There had to be a couple of hundred of them around me and that was judging only by the fraction I saw.


    I couldn''t let my mind dwell on the situation. If I let my thoughts take the upper hand, I wouldn''t be able to concentrate on themands that were barked at me; instead, I would overthink the possibilities of their ns.


    My hands and knees shook as I rose to my full height, the action apanied by loud shouts and whistles.


    Soon, I realized my clothes were torn. Not to pieces orpletely destroyed, but there were holes and cuts where I hadn''t had any before I lost consciousness.


    A lump formed in my throat. As the hungry, heated gazes burned holes in my skin, the lump grew bigger, almost to the point of suffocating me.


    "I promised a show, didn''t I?" The leaderughed, his cold, emotionless tone echoed against the walls of the room.


    While the savages enjoyed themselves, I couldn''t shake off the words he had spoken. A show... A show of what? "What is your name, princess?" The leader spoke over everyone.


    It took all I had in me not to re at him and n a thousand torturous deaths I would wish upon this man.


    Sucking in a shaky breath, I closed my eyes and whispered, "Aife."


    There was no point in lying. In fact, there was no point in asking the question either.


    I was sure the brute had overheard my name when dad shouted for me, so the beast was just ying with me. Like a cat, chasing around the mouse before he devoured it.


    "Good girl, your father taught you how to follow themands of your superiors. Impressive," the leader mocked, tossing something at my face. "You deserve a treat," he added.


    My eyes snapped open as I heard a light thud sound right next to my feet. I couldn''t believe it... He had thrown a bone at me. An actual bone!


    Surely, he was expecting a reaction, but I was too stubborn to give him one. I didn''t thank the savage for his generosity because there was none, but I also didn''t spare him a nce, just focused my gaze on the pitiful bone. "Showtime!" He roared so suddenly, his voice startled me enough to jump.


    Everyoneughed at my reaction, some even pointed their fingers at me and encouraged me to cry some more.


    Never in my life had I thought I could learn how to hate someone, but here I was, learning first hand that hate wasn''t just a strong word to use.


    "Strip!"


    I heard the word, but didn''t react. Even as the men around me acted like they hadn''t seen a woman for decades and some tried to grab me, I still didn''t move.


    This had to be a cruel joke. No one was that soulless and merciless.


    I knew that myck of reaction angered the leader when he mmed his fist against the surface of the table. I could feel the force behind the impact underneath my bare feet. But my blood ran truly cold when he snarled, "I said, strip, bitch!" No wonder they didn''t have any women around the table. No self-respecting woman would tolerate being treated like a lower being.


    Somehow, I found the strength to force my lips in a thin line and shake my head. I was willing to die for this. Death sounded better than the humiliation anyway.


    A hand grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and yanked on it with so much force, the sound of the fabric tearing filled the room.


    "If you are stupid enough to think your precious little family died in that explosion, it''s on you." The leader snarled. From the corner of my eye, I could see him rise from his seat, face burning red, fury clear in his eyes. "But if you are willing to check how true your theory is, be my guest and defy themands, mommy dearest''s throat will be the next one I slit."


    This had to be an attempt to manipte me, but I didn''t care. Even if he lied to make me do something I didn''t want to, I still refused to give up on hope that someone had survived.


    Tears welled up in my eyes as I spun on my heel and faced the man. For a second, a smirk spread across his lips, nearly making him look a little human, until it disappeared and the scowl returned.


    My hands clutched the fabric of my shirt as tears spilled over and streamed down my cheeks. I kept biting on the inside of my cheek to remain quiet as I pulled the shirt over my head and threw it on the table. Then, I quickly pulled down my pants and tried to pretend that I wasn''t here, I didn''t stand in front of these monsters, exposed, at their mercy.


    But of course, it wasn''t enough. It was never enough for the monsters of his kind.


    A hand grabbed my chin and forced me to meet the empty gaze. "I said strip," he repeated himself as he hooked a finger under my bra and tugged on it. "All of it."

 4: Dance for us, princess.

    **Aife


    pov**


    He had broken me enough to drop the clothes, but since I defied his directmands and didn''t strip bare, he ordered his men to hold me as he did it himself.


    The moment he stripped me of the fabric covering my body and the remains of my dignity, heughed at my face.


    The leader kept his voice loud and clear as he described my body - every shape and curve, orck thereof.


    Itsted for hours.


    All of themughed. So loud, I was sure I would never forget the sounds of their voices and the words they said to me.


    "Dance for us, princess," he spat at me.


    I regretted not listening to my father. He was right - we could have died together, united as family, but instead, I stood in front of the enemy and entertained his goons. "No," my voice was barely audible to me, but he heard it loud and clear.


    He had never been nice, but up to this point, at least his weapons of choice were words. But not anymore. He pped me across the face with the back of his hand with such force, I fell backwards andnded on a pile of bottles. The ss broke under my weight, the shards of it dug in my flesh, making me scream out in pain.


    While I tried toy as still as possible to avoid forcing the ss deeper in my flesh, the leaderughed in disbelief. "I can''t believe this. You, an Alpha''s daughter, such a disgrace. Don''t tell me I dragged home the weak link of the pack." Once again, his words were followed by moreughter.


    At first, I had no idea how bad the damage was to my body. Then, dark dots clouded my vision, I suddenly felt light-headed and liquid, I assumed wine, slowly pooled around me.


    "Oh, shit, we went too far," someone hissed as I tried to keep my eyes wide open in case any of those savages tried to take advantage of my state.


    "What are you talking about? We just started," the leader interjected, but his words didn''t sound as loud anymore.


    Although it was still there, the deafeningughter slowly faded.


    My eyes focused on the exquisite chandelier above me and suddenly, I became oddly fascinated by the shapes and lights as my eyelids kept growing heavier with each blink.


    "Blood!" Someone shouted just as I closed my eyes and let the darkness bring me a much-needed sense of peace.


    I wasn''t fully out of it. I felt the callused hands that grabbed my shoulders and pulled me off the table. I felt the palm that pped my cheek and the hand on my shoulder that tightened to a bruising grip.


    "Aife, open your eyes," someone snarled above me, but I couldn''t recognize the voice. "Come on, sweetheart. I said open your eyes, damn it!"


    Silly me, I actually wanted to peer up and see who was the frantic man that shouted at me, but I couldn''t.


    The darkness, the relief and aplete feeling of nothingness were too inviting.


    Even as I felt someone scoop me in their arms and carry me away from the voices, I didn''t try to look up. Instead, I silently thanked the Goddess for getting me out of this hell so soon and let the loss of senses slowly lull me to sleep.


    ***


    I woke with a startle to moreughter, a sense of Deja Vu instantly crept as deep as in my bones.


    Fear froze me. I was back. I was lying on the table with those monsters surrounding me, ready to start the humiliating game all over again.


    My mind went into overdrive as I started to hyperventte and failed to notice that I wasn''t where I feared to be. That is, until I grabbed a fistful of sand and realized that theughter was louder in my head than it was in person. I could hear voices and asional chuckles, but they weren''t in close vicinity to me. Opening my eyes, I feared the worst.


    Nothing changed, I was surrounded by darkness. Did it mean I had lost my vision somehow? No, it couldn''t be that.


    I tried to recall what had happened and avoid the ugly parts at the same time.


    Blood, someone mentioned blood. Yes, that had to be the answer.


    But answer to what exactly? Could it be that I was losing my mind?


    As if the owner could read my mind, the voice of it answered the silent questions. "Overheard them guards mutter you lost a lot of blood. Them guards said you would be out for a day or two, not a week. Good morning, new meat, wee to your home. I say calm that galloping heat of yourse before them guards notice you''re awake. Trust me, you''re better off here with the filth than with them guards upstairs."


    The lump in my throat returned as if it had be a new part of me.


    I had always thought it was bold of one to assume something, but unfortunately, I was almost sure my assumptions were right - I was alive... Sadly.


    "Thank you," I managed to choke out the words as I focused on my breathing.


    As the full weight of my new reality came crashing down on me, to my surprise, it wasn''t theughter that echoed in my mind this time. Instead, I heard my dad''s words.


    "An enemy on a sinking ship is a better friend than an ally sitting at the same table."


    The words grew louder in my mind as the mysterious stranger started whistling a somewhat familiar tune.


    My head snapped in the direction of the sound. For a brief moment, I tried to notice something - anything, even a movement would be enough.


    But yet again, the hard weight of reality hit me. It was too dark and the more I focused on trying to notice something, the more my head hurt. "Why are you helping me?" I whispered, fearing my voice might be too loud and the possibility of attracting unneeded attention.


    A low chuckle was followed by a long pause. Long enough for me to start overthinking if questioning the hidden stranger was a good idea.


    "Them guards are not good people. I''m not good people, but them guards are worse. Them toss you here like a youngdy is worse than a halfbreed bitch. I know life or rogue and a prisoner, them guards know life of blood and cruelty, no ce for youngdies. Maybe I just pity."


    I nodded as his words fully sank in. Although he couldn''t see it, I hoped he knew I was grateful for the answer and time he was giving me.


    After the brief conversation, I kept to myself, finding a way to the furthest corner of the cell and pulling my knees to my chest as I leaned my head against the cold wall and letting my eyes shut once again.


    Despite the ufortable position, I was slowly drifting asleep until someone startled me fully awake by dragging something against the metal bars.


    Slowly, I opened my eyes to see a dim light barely illuminating the hall and a very sour-looking man standing behind the bars, ring daggers at me.


    "Fucking savages," he muttered as he thrust the key in the lock and twisted it. "Come along, there''s someone who wants to see you."

 5: To live on borrowed time.

    **Aife pov**


    The stranger''s words crept in my mind as I tried to get to my feet. Crawling around the tiny cell was one thing, but actually rising to my full height after a week of not moving at all proved to be a challenge. The guard who came to get me had none of it. Groaning and growling, he entered the cell, grabbed my upper arm so rough, I was sure he would leave a bruise, and yanked me to my feet.


    My knees kept giving in from under me, so the guard dragged me along. He didn''t bother to toss me on his shoulder like his savage leader did, but he did take great pleasure in hurting me as he dragged me down the hall, that was clear.


    I tried to stand up, I tried to walk, but he had none of it. Patience definitely couldn''t be a thing these men would be known for. By the time he got me to the end of the hall and in front of a door, I had a bruise of his hand on my arm and my ribs were scraped so badly, I had started bleeding.


    "Stop being so difficult, brat!" The guard shouted as his grip on me became so painful, I couldn''t hold back the cry of pain.


    He didn''t add more as he yanked me to my feet again and pushed me out of the door. I had to lean against the wall to stay upright while he locked the door and once again, grabbed me. At this point, I was sure he did everything on purpose, adding more pain by gripping the bruise he already left.


    As he dragged me down another hall and we entered what looked like amon room, I couldn''t help but wonder why I didn''t see even one woman around. There were none in the massive room with the table, and here I couldn''t see any either.


    The hungry gazes of the men that surrounded me were so intense, it suddenly felt like the guard wasn''t even a bit of the problem I was about to face.


    My heart nearly stopped. I felt like I was back in that room, all of their eyes on my exposed body, grabbing and gripping, desperate for a piece of me.


    Even as the guard led me away from them, I didn''t dare to breathe out in relief. Sure, I was overjoyed to get away from them, but the man I was most likely to face was far worse than all of them put together.


    I expected to be taken to an office room or library, but instead, the guard dragged me out of the building. I knew that I had to look like a fish out of the water with how low my jaw hung, but I couldn''t help it.


    All of those scenarios, ideas and fears that ran through me were nothing close to the reality I was experiencing. To my surprise, the guard dragged me to a car that was parked right in front of the house, opened the door and forced me in the back seat.


    "Not a fucking sound, you hear me? Not a goddamn sound." He hissed and mmed the door closed.


    I hadn''t uttered a single word ever since he dragged me out of that cell, why he was so adamant to remind me I had no right to speak was beyond me. Not that I minded, anyway.


    My eyes didn''t leave the guard as he walked around the car and got in the driver''s seat. He didn''t say anything as he started the car and drove away from the house.


    Now, as I watched the massive building disappear from the view, I felt like this was it. Just hours ago, I was sad for being alive, and now, someone would take my life. I was sure the guard was driving me to a forest or some abandoned location to kill me.


    "Please, Moon Goddess, if you can hear my prayers, make it quick. Hold his hand when he does it, help him have the strength to take my life with mercy," I prayed mentally.


    The car came to a halt so suddenly, my body flew forward and I hit the back of the passenger''s seat with a surprised yelp.


    The guard groaned, clearly annoyed and muttered, "told them fucking savages don''t know shit about safety belts and how to use them."


    I was speechless, just as he wanted, and again, it seemed to annoy him even more. While he got out of his seat and walked around the car to my door, I quickly scanned the surroundings.


    He didn''t take me to a remote ce. In fact, he took me to what looked like a tiny vige, hidden away from the main building, right in the middle of the forest. I could see at least a dozen small houses, but not a single soul was out and about. Before I could fully take in the view, the guard opened the car door, grabbed the back of my neck and forcefully yanked me out of the car. He didn''t bother to hold me upright, as soon as half of my body was out of the vehicle, he let go so I fell out face-first.


    An uglyugh left him as he grabbed my hair and pulled me away from the car. He didn''t address the scream that left me. Instead, he mmed the car door closed and turned his attention to me. "Look for udia," he barked.


    I tried to bring my hands to my face to hide the tears that were about to escape my eyes, but the guard was hell bent on proving to me just how ruthless he could be and how little he cared for the pain he was causing to others.


    He kicked me in the stomach. Just once, but he did it with so much force, the pain shot through me like a wave of electricity. I tried to pull my knees to my chest, but the action was too painful. Just to make the matter worse, I started coughing blood.


    The guard stood over me,ughing. "What are you waiting for, brat? Get up and do as you''re told. Look for udia," he barked and spat on my face.


    All the physical pain he inflicted felt like nothingpared to that action. Disgusting pieces of lowlife garbage, that was what those men were. All of them.


    I didn''t look away from him as he walked back to the car and got in the driver''s seat as if he had no care in the world. As soon as he sped away, I let the tears loose. Everything hurt, I was humiliated all over again and he didn''t even bother to pull out a knife to end my misery. Instead, he left me here at god knew whose mercy.


    While I heaved for breath, I didn''t notice how doors to the houses opened and rows of women surrounded me. One of them dropped to her knees next to me and cradled my face. "You poor thing, why would he do something like that to you?" She cried out.


    "Look at the new meat, udia. Look very careful and admit you''re wrong! They''re not getting better. If anything, all of them are bing worse, more ruthless, even the guards. Those men have no heart, they don''t see an issue with beating up a woman and you still have the gall to defend them? What did she do to deserve this? I can bet my heart she is yet another girl they stole from a pack and decided she''s unfit!"


    The woman, who cradled me, hissed and turned her attention to someone. "We can return to that neverending discussionter. Now, I need help to get her in the empty house and tend to her. She is to return to the main building with us early tomorrow morning, so if we don''t want to start living on borrowed time soon, we should get moving."

 6: Orders from the Alpha.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I kept quiet as the women helped me to my feet and walked me to the house I didn''t notice earlier; a cute, little building hidden away from the view.


    "Why is she staying here alone, not with a housemate like the rest of us?" A woman to my right asked as she helped me up the front stairs.


    She didn''t sound bitter or angry as I expected everyone here to be. In fact, she sounded worried, as if something was terribly wrong and for some reason, she wanted to shield me.


    "Because those were the direct orders from the Alpha." The woman to my left exined as she reached into the massive pocket of her apron and pulled out a ring of keys. "Can someone help her stand until I find the key, please?" She added, ncing over her shoulder.


    "I can help, udia," a girl shouted and ran up the stairs.


    I was so grateful for how gentle and attentive they were. Unlike the men of this pack, all of these women were careful not to hurt me more than I already was.


    udia tried three keys until she found the right one and instantly slid it off the ring. With a sad smile, she opened the main door and slid inside, waiting for us to enter after her. "This isn''t much, I know, but it''s better than nothing. We keep the empty houses tidy at all times, so you won''t have to clean up until you feel better," she spoke as she walked to the cozy living room area.


    "Thank you for helping me. Even though you don''t have to," I choked out as more tears filled my eyes.


    Experiencing all of those vile things and facing such kindness right after was overwhelming. I felt like I was thrown into a brand new universe, one I would rather have embrace me than the hell that was the main building, as they called it. "Nonsense," the younger woman giggled. "We need to stay close to survive. My name is Erin, but don''t be surprised if you hear men address me as Emily or Emma, they''re awful with names."


    "I second that. And I''m Abigail. The one with the keys is udia, but I''m sure you already figured that out," the woman to my left grinned.


    They walked me to the small couch and helped me sit down while udia disappeared from our view.


    I sucked in a deep breath and winced in pain. That guard might have broken a bloody rib.


    "My name is Aife," I breathed out as I leaned my head against the headrest of the couch.


    "Oh, don''t sleep, love," Abigail scoffed. "We need to tend to you first. Goddess forbid Frank broke something and caused internal bleeding. That scum never changes."


    "I should probably tell the rest she''s fine and will be getting some sleep, no?" Erin perked up.


    "That would be for the best. They won''t leave until they know the girl is fine and needs some time away from everyone. You and I both know how curious they are. After what Frank did, I don''t think it would be fair to leave the poor thing at the mercy of endless questions. Besides, we don''t know when she was snatched, it might be a pretty fresh and triggering topic," Abigail spoke as if I wasn''t here, right next to them, listening.


    "I could ask Bianca to bring some of her wonder tea?" Erin asked as she walked to the door.


    "Good idea," Abigail hummed and slowly lowered herself on the couch, right next to me.


    Although I had thousands of questions, I didn''t feel like I should ask any. From what I already saw, it was clear I wasn''t the first one to be brought here - for whatever reasons this was happening.


    We sat in silence for no longer than five minutes until I broke. Her gaze was nearly as intense as that of those monstrous men. "You can ask questions, I don''t mind," I muttered.


    "When were you snatched? From where?" Abigail instantly asked the very questions she was supposedly protecting me from moments ago.


    I fought to hold back the tears. All this crying was too much. I had never cried this much in my entire lifetime, let alone in front of someone.


    "Eight, maybe nine days ago. From the Midnight Mist." I didn''t want to share too many details simply because I didn''t know her.


    Yes, Abigail was helping me, but I had learned long before I was kidnapped that an enemy will smile to your face and pretend to be a friend. Until I got to know these women a little better, I didn''t have the luxury of trusting any of them. "Eight or nine days ago? Pardon my ignorance, but why do you sound like you don''t know?"


    "I''m not sure because there was an ident and from what I heard from a man in the cells, he told me I was unconscious for a week." I muttered.


    "That is..." Abigail stopped herself for a brief moment and then added a quiet, "unusual."


    Just as I was about to question her odd behavior and words, udia stepped in front of us and ced a white box on the coffee table. She sat on the fluffy carpet, opened the box and went through the content of it with a serious expression on her face.


    "Stop pestering the girl, Abigail. You are not entitled to getting to know the fresh gossip first-hand," udia spoke without sparing us as much as a single nce.


    Abigail huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I''m not pestering her or trying to get the fresh gossip. I''m only trying to figure out how she got here and why she''s being treated differently than the rest of us." udia rolled her eyes. "I''m sure Alpha has his reasons. It''s not like we have the right to question him anyway."


    I zoned out while they argued until udia asked me toy on my back and Abigail helped me. She lifted my shirt and slowly ran her hands over my ribs, adding a little pressure to each until a hiss of pain left me and she stopped. "Thankfully, not broken, but you''re pretty beaten. Why isn''t your wolf reacting yet?" udia muttered.


    It was clear that the question was meant more to her than it was for me, but I still spoke up. "I don''t have one yet."


    Her eyes widened. "They have never taken anyone who''s not of age. How old are you, Aife?"


    I arched an eyebrow. Now, that was a bit that poked my curiosity. So the savages had rules about how old were the women they were kidnapping? Interesting.


    "I''m twenty, about to turn twenty-one in three months. Well, a little less since I lost about a week."


    udia nodded, but didn''t offer more. Instead, she focused on whatever she was doing and asked Abigail to go to her home and grab some ice.


    Although reluctant, Abigail left and promised to return in a few minutes. udia watched the door for a bit. Once we heard the footsteps and were sure Abigail really left, she returned her attention to me.


    "Okay, so. First, we will deal with the aftermath of Frank''s stupidity. Then, I''ll cook you some food and get you to bed. We are about an hour walk away from the main building, so we leave the houses around 3 am to be on time to cook breakfast. You will join me for the first days and I will show you around so you can learn everything about our responsibilities. Next week you should be able to work alone."


    "I don''t get it," I muttered.


    "Oh," udia gasped. "I almost forgot. You need to see the Alpha first thing in the morning, you''re joining me after that."


    I had to look mad as I stared at her wide-eyed. I understood that they expected I would work for the savages from now on, but I didn''t see a single reason to do so.


    While asking important questions would be a wisest choice, I opted to ask the most innocent one - the one that might give me some actual answers. "Where am I?"


    "You, my dear, have joined the endless rows of rejects. Now, you are one of us - a woman, unfit for the Crimson Moon warriors. Just like the rest of us, you were ruled to be too weak, small, or, although I wouldn''t agree with it, too ugly for the men of this pack, so you were demoted to the role of a lowly servant."

 7: Chosen by the pack men.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Soon after the conversation, Erin and Abigail returned with more women in tow. It felt a little weird to have them all give me so much attention.


    Each of them had questions about my pack, family and what had happened. I tried to be as open and thankful as I could when I answered them, but kept out some details on purpose.


    Like the part about the table and men, stripping me naked. I didn''t want anyone to know that.


    A part of me knew they would find it out from some of those men eventually, but I hoped they would understand why I didn''t speak about it.


    As the conversation progressed, I learned a little more about the Crimson Moon.


    I had heard awful rumors about the pack no one believed existed. They were hidden somewhere, left their territory only to attack and ughter, but I had hoped it was nothing but a way to scare children. A terrible tale. Sadly, that part about them was true.


    However, what truly surprised me was what they did after the attacks. The women imed men brought home multiple girls every time they destroyed packs - like some trophies.


    Neither agreed to exin why they stole women, justid out the system they lived by. As Abigail put it in the lucky ones were chosen by the pack men.


    The reason why no women were to be seen around the main building while I was there was because the chosen ones lived with their partners in separate houses and the workers were there in early morning orte evening hours. Some were there to cook lunch, but they weren''t allowed to leave the kitchen.


    "So, how do they decide which one to keep and which one to toss away then? I''m sorry, but I''m struggling to wrap my mind around the ruling logic. Why kidnap some just to turn them into servants and deem them as unfitter?" I finally started asking questions.


    udia offered me a smile of pity. She didn''t look like someone who was sad for my situation, rather sad for myck of understanding and intelligence in this particr situation.


    "Darling, we don''t know how they choose. All we know is the same as you, we were once ripped away from everything we knew. Some of our sisters and friends were taken as mates of the warriors and the rest of us, well, they saw ws I suppose," she chuckled at herst statement.


    I raised an eyebrow and let my eyes scan the faces of the women surrounding me. udia appeared to be a little older than the rest, but her beautiful brown eyes and curly blonde hair made her look like a Goddess. She didn''tck in the looks department. In fact, neither of them did.


    Erin was a young, bubbly, red-haired ball of energy. Abigail, opposite of her, was a very calm, yet passionate brte with the most captivating green eyes I had ever seen.


    Then, there was Mary and Sally - breathtaking twins. Long, dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Next to them stood Kate, almost a copy of Erin, except the hair color.


    It didn''t matter where my eyesnded - all of the women around me were unique and unbelievably beautiful. If anything, I was the one who stuck out like a sore thumb, so I didn''t understand why I was taken from my pack. Perhaps in my case it was about the bloodline, not looks? Most likely.


    Now, I had even more questions, but before I could voice any, udia ced a hand over mine and sighed, "it''s time for us to return home. You need some sleep and so do we; it''s a big day for all of us tomorrow."


    I wasn''t sure how I felt about that statement. A big day? Sounded more like my worst nightmare.


    As they stood from their seats, I restrained myself from saying anything. I enjoyed a great meal and some small talks with them, so all women deserve some rest. I would be lying if I imed I wanted to get some sleep, if anything, I knew I wouldn''t be able to close an eye before the morning came.


    I was told to go to the bedroom and rest, but once they left, I justid on the couch and tried to analyze everything that had happened. I knew overthinking would bring me no good, but I couldn''t help it.


    At one point, I had to have dozed off, because I was woken up by udia, shaking my body and hovering over me. "Aife, didn''t I tell you to sleep in the bed and set an rm? We will bete if we don''t leave now. The rest have already left." She scolded me.


    I ignored the pain as I got up from the couch and followed her outside. udia took her time scolding me for still wearing the ripped clothing and missing out on having a shower, but halfway to the main building, she finally calmed down. "When you go see the Alpha, if he says anything about clothes, tell him we didn''t have any in your size and I already ordered some. It''s a lie, but I will do that as soon as we get to the house. But really, you''re so tiny, I don''t think we have anything that could fit you, as you see, we''re all a little on the bigger side. Maybe that''s why we''re so undesirable," she added thest part as a whisper.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see the sour expression on her face. Truth to be told, neither of them was ''on the bigger side'' as she imed. I was dangerously thin, that was clear, but it was theck of food over the week for me. udia and the rest of them looked perfectly normal in my eyes - even more than that, actually. They had tempting curves and beautiful bodies. I believed the bitter words had to be the reaction to rejection from the very men who had stolen them from their families, but chose to keep that to myself.


    I had gotten enough scolding already, I didn''t want to listen to more of it.


    Once we reached the main building, we joined the end of the line of women, waiting to be let in. If nothing else, at least we weren''tte, which seemed to mean a lot to udia.


    My whole body was hurting as I kept switching my weight from one leg to another while the guards let in one woman at the time. They inspected the clothing and shouted at anyone, who had as much as a tiny speck of dirt on it. Now, I understood why udia wasn''t happy with me.


    By the time we reached the door, I felt like my feet were on fire. The guards let udia enter the building without checking her, but she insisted she would wait for the neer.


    As soon as their eyes set on me, their faces twisted in disgust. "What the fuck are you wearing?" One of them barked and lifted his hand as if he was about to p me.


    The other guard grabbed his wrist and hissed, "don''t act out now. Later, after she sees the Alpha. He''s already waiting for this one in his office. Let him deal with the scum."


    udia''s eyes widened as she started backing away and disappeared in the building. So much for helping me here. The aggressive guard reached around me and grabbed a fistful of my hair, dragging me inside the building without a word. All of the women got to witness my misery as he dragged me by my hair through the crowd. He kept pulling and tugging until tears filled my eyes. I was so close to crying out in pain, but the grip suddenly disappeared and I was thrown on the floor.


    "About the damn time you decided to bless me with your presence."

 8: Good start for the lesson.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I was on my hands and knees when he stood from his seat and walked around the desk. My eyes followed him as he stepped in front of it, leaned against it and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His facial expression was difficult to read - something between disgust and amusement, but not quite there yet. The only thing I was sure about was that he took great pleasure in watching my misery. The reasons why he was doing this didn''t matter anymore, I just wanted to get out of his personal space as soon as possible.


    "You were supposed to arrive ten minutes ago," he grumbled and nced at the watch around his wrist. "What do you have to say for yourself?" He added as his eyes focused on me.


    I had plenty of things to say. Oh, so many things, but I couldn''t risk uttering even one - all of the words that ran through my mind were surely tond me straight back into the cells. Or, worse than that, in the hands of his starving animals. "I see," he chuckled and pushed himself off the table.


    My eyes widened as he stepped closer and bent in his knees in front of me. Even in this position,pared to him, I felt as tiny as a bug.


    As if his presence alone wasn''t terrifying enough, he had to smirk. "I like you. The best spirit to break is a strong spirit," he chuckled as he reached his hand behind my head and grabbed a fistful of my hair.


    Just like his guards, he seemed to enjoy hurting the women they kidnapped.


    Tears stung my eyes, but I kept quiet even when he straightened his posture and pulled on my hair until I stood straight in front of him. My instincts screamed to grab his hand, to w at it, but my pride kept me from doing so. Just a moment ago, he gloated about his love of breaking spirits, and here I was, giving him exactly what he wanted.


    The longer I kept quiet, the more he seemed to enjoy it. As if he craved silent resistance.


    He brought his face dangerously close to mine, just a brief movement and his lips would brush mine.


    I squeezed my eyes shut. Deep down, I knew he wanted to see that spark, that fire of defiance in my eyes, but he wouldn''t get it.


    When his hold on my hair tightened and he pulled on it so hard, it felt like he was pulling it out of my scalp, I bit my bottom lip to keep silent. The only issue was that I did it so hard, it started bleeding.


    A low groan left him. I hated how pleased he sounded. I hated it, I hated him with passion.


    His free hand grabbed my hip and as he pulled my body flush against his. My eyes flew wide open, just in time with him, leaning in and capturing my lips with his.


    I tried to move my face away, but he released my hair and grabbed the back of my head instead to hold me in ce. He sucked on my lips and tried to thrust his tongue inside my mouth. His lips on mine felt so disgusting, so invasive, I gave into the instincts and bit his lip - hard.


    A hiss of pain left him as he released me. The corner of my lip twitched as I tried to suppress a smile, but the feeling of victory faded when I heard hisughter echo against the walls.


    "I fucking love it," he barked out in excitement.


    While the monstrous man was enjoying his moment, I tried to back away. Maybe if he was too busy with his stupid happiness, he wouldn''t notice me slip out of the office, and if I was truly lucky - I could find a ce to hide. But of course, luck wasn''t on my side. Not in this ce.


    "Don''t bother, sweetheart, the door is locked. The only way you can leave this office is if I allow you to leave and I am nowhere near done with enjoying yourpany."


    My heart nearly stopped. It wasn''t as much because of his words, more the tone he used when he spoke - so calm and collected, like I was right where he wanted me to be. All this... Everything - it was a trap and I fell right into it.


    "Now, let''s get to why you''re really here," he chuckled as his eyes zeroed in on me.


    My breath hitched as my gaze met his. The insane need to defy him was long lost and forgotten, reced by fear I hadn''t known until I saw the look in his eyes.


    I gulped and froze. The monster leaned against his desk again. A satisfied look appeared on his face as he licked his lips and spoke, "undress."


    One of my eyebrows flew so high up, it had to disappear in my hairline. He couldn''t be serious with that nonsense all over again, right?


    "Don''t make me repeat myself. Or should I invite the guards inside and y out our previous experience? I don''t mind helping, as you already know."


    His voice was too calm. It worried me how level-headed he appeared while he spat demands at me.


    Once again, I felt the tears well in my eyes, but this time, I refused to have more witnesses to my misery, so although my hands shook, I started undressing.


    As soon as I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor, he growled a low, "slowly. Make me enjoy the show."


    He couldn''t possibly understand how much he was humiliating me. Although everything he did was on purpose, I was sure he couldn''t grasp at how much this stupid thing hurt me.


    And yet, I did as I was told. Slowly, I took off everything I was wearing, piece by piece, until all of my clothes were piled up on the office floor.


    The monster groaned, once again, sounding too pleased with the situation, pushed himself off the desk and walked towards me.


    I was a moment away from dropping to my knees and begging him not to do it, but he beat me to it by simply grabbing my clothing and turning his back on me. I seriously thought he would... I wouldn''t put it past him, but for now, I was happy he didn''t go that far.


    My eyes followed him as he tossed my clothes in the trash bin and set it in the middle of the office. Then, he reached for a cigar and looked at it as he muttered, "I''m still not fully convinced that you deserve new clothes. Given how ungrateful you''ve been for the hospitality we have shown you."


    It took everything within me not to scream at him. Where was the hospitality he mentioned? I didn''t see any. All he had done was kidnapped me, humiliated me over and over again, let his men beat me and made me his servant. That was as far from being a good host as I could imagine.


    And worst of all, the moment he looked away from the cigar, his eyes focused on me. He didn''t say a word, just watched. I couldn''t exin why, but standing naked in front of him alone felt ten times worse than being watched by all those men in that dining room.


    His eyes followed every shape of my body, as if he was drinking me in, etching the image in his memory to ensure he would never forget this moment.


    I held my breath as he pulled a lighter out of the pocket of his cks and trapped the cigar between his lips. Slowly, without pulling his gaze away from me, he lit the cigar and grinned. Then, he tossed the lighter in the trash bin and set my clothes on fire.


    A loud gasp left me, I instantly tried to rush to the bin, hoping I could save at least one piece, but he barked at me to freeze, and unfortunately, I did.


    "I''m bored, you can leave," he suddenly waved me off.


    I still stood frozen, my eyes nearly popping out of the sockets. He couldn''t be serious. He didn''t mean it. No, he definitely wasn''t sending me awaypletely naked, knowing I was supposed to spend a good chunk of the day in this building. "Until you fix that attitude and learn how to live without the things you didn''t earn, nothing will change. Clothing sounds like a good start for the lesson. Now, leave and get to work before I change my mind about letting you go."

 9: Did they do it or not?

    **Aife pov**


    He didn''t just send me away. That despicable, disgusting man pushed me out of the office and told his guards to walk me to the kitchen, where udia would be waiting for me.


    To make matters worse, he told his men to keep an eye on me so none of the women would try to give me their clothes to cover up.


    I focused my gaze on my feet as they walked me to the kitchen, both of them tossed in revolting remarks about my body and even touched me as they walked, justifying the stolen touches as idents. As soon as they shoved me inside the kitchen, they stood at the door and crossed their arms, eyes on me.


    "Aife, dear, where are your clothes?" udia rushed to me. The concern on her face broke me, tears escaped my eyes and streamed down my cheeks as I fought to stay quiet.


    udia gripped her cardigan, her intent clear to everyone, but she was stopped by one of the guards. "Don''t. She is to work naked. Alpha''s orders."


    At the words, all heads snapped in my direction, eyes wide, mouths open.


    "But why?" udia asked as she stepped in front of me, as if she was trying to shield me from their gazes.


    "Because he said so. Who are you to question the Alpha? What is it, reject? Have you grown a backbone because of that mutt?" One of the men shouted. "No," udia whispered. "I apologize."


    The lump in my throat returned. It grew bigger as the rest of the women did their best to avert their gazes and give me the chance to hide away from them. "Come along, dear, we need to do someundry first," udia nudged my side.


    I hated the thought of leaving the kitchen and being exposed to more prying eyes, but I had no power over the situation, so I followed her.


    Only when we entered theundry room did I understand why she led me away from the kitchen. The guards didn''t enter, they stood by the closed door, and here, I was alone with udia, no more eyes.


    As soon as the door closed behind us, my knees gave in from under me and I let it all loose. Somehow, I still had tears to cry and finally, some sobs escaped my lips while her arms enveloped me in a warm,forting hug. "Aife, oh Aife, what did you do to deserve this?" udia whispered.


    "Nothing," I choked out the word as my fingers dug in the carpet. "I did nothing. I didn''t utter a word, didn''t defy amand, nothing. He just..." My voice broke before I could finish what I was about to say.


    The worst part was that for her to understand the situation, I had toe clean with what happened after they first brought me here. I wanted to keep it a secret so badly, I hated myself for even thinking ofing clean with someone.


    "Aife, listen," udia let out a shaky breath. "Alpha, he isn''t a good man, we all know that, but he isn''t someone who acts on a whim. He has never done anything unless he needed to or he was provoked to act. What happened? You can tell me. Together, we will figure out what went wrong and how to avoid anything like this from happening ever again."


    I sucked in a sharp breath and brought my hand to hers, clutching it for my dear life. "This isn''t the first time," I managed to force the words over my lips and instantly regretted it.


    udia tensed. "Isn''t the first time? Aife, what are you hiding?" Her voice was barely audible, but the anger and confusion behind her words were evident.


    Instead ofying it all out through the sobs and hups, I tried to ground myself first. I had to calm down to make sense. And if I really was about to tell anyone about my experience, I was d it was udia who got to listen to it.


    She didn''t rush me to start working, just held me until I cried it all out. Once I was calm enough, she helped me to my feet and tried to slide her cardigan off her shoulders again, but I quickly stopped her. "No, you''ll get in trouble. He told the guards to keep their eye on me so no one gives me clothes."


    I was cold, humiliated and exhausted, but I still wanted her safe. udia nced at the door and nodded. "Okay. We still need to deal with theundry, so watch me while you tell me what''s going on."


    It wasn''t like I didn''t know how to doundry and fold it, but I appreciated her attempt to give me a moment to rest, especially after the emotional rollercoaster I just experienced.


    The first few minutes were silent as she separated the clothing and loaded the washers. When one of the guards poked his head in the room, I was folding the sheets and udia was adding the detergent to theundry. He nodded at us and disappeared again.


    "Tell me," udia whispered as she closed the washer door and leaned against it.


    I nced over my shoulder to ensure no one was listening and returned my attention to udia. "The first day. After they kidnapped me and took me here. I don''t remember how I got here, but I remember waking up in the dining room. I wasying on the table, right in front of that man and surrounded by the rest. He demanded I strip, told me my parents were still alive and if I wouldn''t do what he told me to, he would kill my mother, so I did. But it wasn''t enough since I was still wearing my underwear."


    The lump, the fricking lump grew in my throat again as I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. I regretted doing it nearly instantly as the images of the memory started shing before my eyes.


    "Then," I whispered. It was so painful to remember everything, but speaking about it with someone was way worse.


    udia appeared next to me and ced her hand on mine as she whispered, "then?"


    I couldn''t look at her, I was too ashamed, too hurt to look into her eyes as I was partially reliving the torment. "He made his men hold me and finished undressing me himself. He mocked me,ughed and described my body to everyone for what seemed to be hours. I''m not sure how long it really was, but it was the most humiliating moment of my life. I guess this one is topping that though. Anway, he let his men touch and grope me. I suppose I should feel grateful that nothing more than that happened. I think..."


    "Aife, what do you mean by ''I think?? Did they do it or not?" udia''s hands were suddenly gripping my shoulders as she shook my body.


    My eyes snapped open. "I don''t know." The words that left me sounded desperate, as if I was seeking the answer to the same questions as she was. "How can..."


    She started, but I cut her off. "I fell and probably hit my head. I think that''s why I don''t remember more. The next thing I remember is cells and a man in the cell next to mine talking about overhearing the guards discussing me, losing loads of blood."


    udia''s face twisted, as if she was in physical pain. Her grip disappeared from my shoulders as she threw her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug again.


    She was about to say something, but the same guard appeared again and udia jumped away from me as if I had burned her. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and asked the guard if he wanted anything.


    The guard mentioned something about us leaving, but not before reminding udia that I was to go back to the women''s housing naked. He stressed that he was more than happy to walk me home if she was incapable of following the Alpha''s orders, but thankfully, she convinced him no woman would go against the word of their great leader.


    Leaving the house felt surreal. Walking past all of those men who kept whistling, hollering and grabbing me was pure torture. By the time I finally got out, my skin was covered in bruises, red spots from their ps and even some bleeding scrapes from their ws.


    udia held my hand and asked the rest of the women to walk ahead and give us privacy. They did, neither of them looked at me, as if they knew how much it would hurt me if they saw me like this.


    Once they were ahead, udia and I started following them. "You aren''t on the evening shift today. I will tell you what''s going on with the clothing situation after I return from my shift." She muttered as if she was addressing herself, not me. I kept quiet. My throat and eyes burned from crying and the only thing I could focus on was how much I wanted to get out of here.


    "I will try to talk to Delta today. He''s returning from visiting a friend in another pack and we''re pretty close. I think he might have an idea why Alpha is going all out on torturing you like this."

 10: Unforgivable flaws.

    **Aife


    pov**


    The moment we returned back to the women''s housing, I bolted to the house that was assigned to me. udia and some other women tried to knock on my door and bring me clothing, but as ashamed as I was to admit it to myself, I was too scared to ept their help.


    No one knew if the all-mighty nameless Alpha had his eyes on me even here. And if he had, I would suffer something far worse than simply running around naked. They would suffer too.


    As the hours clicked by, I realized I hadn''t eaten anything since yesterday. Oddly enough, I didn''t remember feeling hungry either.


    At one point, I went outside to sit on the porch. Soon after, one of the younger women joined me and sat on the chair next to mine, her eyes focused on something in the distance. "You''re Aife, right? I''m Rose," she muttered.


    A slight smile spread across my lips as I spoke. "That''s me. It''s nice to meet you, Rose."


    After that she sat silent, as if she had something she really wanted to say, but held back. For a while, I was okay with the situation, but the more time passed, the more silence irked me. "So, spit it out. What is it?" I tried to sound amused as I spoke.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed Rose shift in her seat as she started nibbling on her nails. "Well," she breathed out. "Why are you refusing the clothes we offer?"


    Rose spoke so fast, it felt like she was more frustrated about the whole situation than I was.


    "Because I don''t want to get you guys in any trouble," I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Besides, I can learn how to feel morefortable in my skin, so that has to be a plus side to this situation." "So it''s not because you want to be chosen?" She gasped. Rose''s eyes focused on me so intensively that I started feeling ufortable being this close.


    "Chosen?" I had to sound like a moron as I repeated the word, but seriously, I had no idea what she was talking about.


    I didn''t want to be here to begin with. Barely the first day and I was already punished for doing nothing wrong, and still, she thought I wanted something here?


    "Yes, chosen," Rose snapped at me.


    My silence had to be loud enough for her to understand I was left in the dark. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped as she stared at me as if I was an alien. "You really have no idea what I''m talking about, do you?" Since no words worked with this girl, I just shrugged my shoulders and looked away. Whatever the hell this ce was, their system was too much for me to understand, so I didn''t want to bother and even try to.


    "One of the men is exchanging a woman. I don''t know which one exactly, but there is a rumor that his chosen one turned out to be unfit, so he''s sending her here to join the rejects and taking one of us since the Alpha rejected his plea to leave the pack and find a recement."


    While Rose spoke with excitement, I couldn''t help but feel disgusted. By the pack, the leader, and finally - her too. How all of them treated living shifters like they were a piece of property to take, share and toss away, was beyond me. "Forgive my ignorance, but why are you so excited?" I finally broke the silence.


    Rose frowned at me. "How-" she stopped herself and took a deep breath. The cheerful expression faded and was reced by an ugly scowl. "You know what, I don''t understand why I even bothered toe here and try to talk to you. And you''re right, you are ignorant." She hissed.


    Just as Rose was about to stand up and probably storm away, I ced my hand over hers and stopped her. She could sulk and act all offendedter, but now, I wanted to get some answers.


    "Again, I''m sorry for acting so ignorant. I have barely spent any time here, so I''m not familiar with how this pack works yet. It seems that you know a lot about the system, so could you please tell me? I don''t want to be so clueless and keep offending everyone just because I don''t know," I tried to tter her.


    Rose froze for a second, but when she looked at me again, her eyes burned in hatred. "And why would I try to help you? What''s in it for me?" She spat.


    I didn''t need time to think about the answer. I had a feeling I knew exactly what she wanted.


    Smiling, I slowly rose from my seat and tugged on her hand as I walked to the door. "When I have to face the Alpha again, I will praise you for educating me on the pack customs. I''m sure he would be very pleased to hear how seriously some of the women here take his rules."


    Just as I suspected, those words caught Rose''s attention. She became all too eager to enter the house. In fact, she ran inside first and pulled me right after her.


    Rose dragged me to the couch and pushed me on it. Then, she started pacing the room and exined how the choosing and exchanges of the women happened in the pack.


    Then, as soon as she was done boasting about how much she loved the said ''tradition'' and how happy she was to be chosen by the warriors of this pack when hers was attacked, she became serious and focused her gaze on me. "I''m not supposed to tell you this since you''re still a neer and an outsider, but since you promised to do me a massive favor, I''ll do one for you too."


    I raised an eyebrow as she walked closer to me and leaned in to whisper, "I know a couple of warriors. They are all too happy to tell me everything about the newest rumors and updates we usually don''t get from the main building. The word got out that the Alpha is preparing his house for something big. He has spent thest couple of years in the main building, but he''s getting ready to move out soon. This is why I need you to uphold your end of the bargain." Maybe I really wasn''t that gifted when it came to intelligence, but most of the things she said made no sense to me.


    How was her stupid need to please the Alpha connected to his sudden decision to move into a separate housing?


    "Oh my God, you don''t get it," Rose gasped and startedughing like a maniac.


    When she managed to calm down a little, she wiped tears from her cheeks and added, "the Alpha is single. Believe it or not, but the men of this pack are very serious about the women they choose. Once they find a partner, it''s for a lifetime unless the said partner has unforgivable ws."


    "Like?" I couldn''t help but ask.


    "Like she''s infertile. That''s unforgivable and I have a gut feeling that the one who will be taken in today is incapable of carrying a child, hence the exchange." Rose announced with a smug look on her face.


    I was dying to remind her she wasn''t any better than the rest of the women in the houses around here. The same as others, Rose was a reject, unwanted and undesired by the pack men. Unfortunately, I needed answers, so I had to bite my tongue and keep my mouth shut.


    "Where was I? Oh, right. Now that Alpha is preparing his house, I think he is about to make a choice soon. I have always felt like this part of the pack isn''t the rejects at all. I believe he keeps the best of all here for his own choosing. Not to brag, but I know I''m on the top of his list, so you need to tell him I was nice and educated you so you stop messing up his days."


    I was about to open my mouth and tell her something I probably shouldn''t have when the door opened and udia saved my ass. "Aife, love, can we talk? In private."

 11: To spite our Alpha.

    **Aife pov**


    Rose tensed as the scowl on her face and attempts to brag disappeared.


    Watching her, I saw so many different emotions and faces, I couldn''t help but wonder if she had multiple personalities trapped in one body.


    "Why?" Rose asked before I had enough time to get up from the couch.


    udia''s head snapped in her direction. "Why, what?"


    "Why do you need to talk to her in private? Aren''t we all sisters here? Neither of us has ever had a problem discussing anything in front of the others, but all of a sudden, you''re acting like you two have secrets. What''s going on, udia?" Rose''s tone was awfully usatory.


    I still didn''t know how the things around here worked to every little detail, but watching this exchange of words - I didn''t like it.


    "Is that so?" udia suddenly huffed as her gaze returned to me. "That must be the reason why you came to talk to Aife in the first ce, right? Look at you, all cozy and warm, discussing things behind closed doors, nothing to hide from your so-called sisters, right?"


    I nced at Rose, who looked not only ufortable, but also ready to blow the roof. Even the tips of her ears turned bright red. Her hands shook as she pulled them in tight fists and spun on her heel before she stormed out of the house. A part of me felt guilty and wanted to run after her, but the other knew she brought this upon herself. No one asked Rose to act like she was entitled to everyone''s time while she didn''t give everyone the same benefit.


    I watched how udia rolled her eyes and started walking in my direction. As soon as she plopped down on the couch next to me, she started questioning me. "What did that pain in the ass want from you? That girl is trouble, stay away from her."


    Clearly, Rose had issues, but I didn''t view her as a pain anywhere. My dad had taught me that everyone deserved a chance, even those we didn''t like, so I was adamant to give Rose one.


    "Nothing much," I shrugged my shoulders. "She told me more about picking and choosing."


    "A vile thing they do, yes, I''m aware. I think she has something seriously wrong with her. We''re all the same. We''re all rejected, but Rose believes she is special and might be chosen by the Alpha himself." udia chuckled. Honestly, I was over and done with this discussion even before it started. I wanted to know some details, yes, but now that I had all - what was the point in repeating the same thing over again?


    I learned enough about the weird pack traditions, so the only thing I wanted was to stay out of the Alpha''s way and be as invisible as possible.


    "So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" I tried to change the topic.


    "Oh, right," udiaughed. "I talked to Delta today and sadly, didn''t get to know anything. The Alpha hasn''t said anything about you in particr, even Delta was surprised to find out about the things you told me. It''s a bit odd given those two are supposed to be best friends." Thest part she whispered, more to herself than me.


    I didn''t offer an opinion and ideas. Whatever were his reasons for the hatred and targeting me alone, it was on him. I wasn''t nning to stick around for long enough to find out more anyway.


    "Are you hungry?" udia brought me out of my thoughts.


    I shook my head. "No, thank you."


    Her hand instantly grabbed my upper arm. udia had a look of determination on her face as she pulled me to my feet and dragged me to the small kitchen area. "Won''t take no for an answer. You must eat to survive. Besides, there''s another thing I wanted to tell you." She muttered as she pointed at the stool next to the kitchen counter.


    Reluctant, I sat down and watched her. udia quickly rolled up her sleeves, washed her hands and started pulling food out of the refrigerator.


    Something about her bodynguage had me on edge. It felt as if whatever she wanted to add was both something important and terrifying. Like she had to get herself busy while she exined so she wouldn''t have to see my reaction. "udia, what''s going on?" I finally mustered up the courage to question her.


    She let go of the knife she was holding and both of us held our breaths as itnded on the tiled floor, right next to her feet, barely missing her.


    "I-" she tried to talk, but her voice was overpowered by the shouts and pping of hands that came from the outside.


    My head snapped in the direction of the door, as if I could see anything that was happening outside, and just as I was about to stand up, udia''s hand pped on my shoulder, holding me down. "You can''t go out there," she whispered as her eyes darted everywhere but at me.


    I frowned at her, but the moment I saw how frantic she became, I couldn''t help but feel worried about her behavior.


    "udia? Seriously, tell me what''s going on before I have a heart attack," I whispered, unsure if speaking also wasn''t allowed now.


    Her hand slid down my arm until she reached my wrist and gripped it. "I need to take you to the bedroom first. You are not allowed to leave this house, Aife. Do you understand?" She hissed as she yanked me so hard, I had to stand up. Absolutely speechless, I nodded my head and followed her upstairs.


    As soon as we entered the bedroom, she ordered me to sit on the bed while she opened the closet and started pulling out different pieces of clothing. I overlooked the fact that those weren''t there before. udia all but threw the clothes at me and muttered that I should get dressed. I did just that while she stood by the door and pressed her ear to it, listening to themotion she could hear from downstairs.


    Once I was fully dressed, she turned to me. "It''s the Delta. He is the one who came to do the exchange. What I didn''t tell you was that once I told him about you and Alpha''s odd behavior around you, he... I messed up," her voice broke as tears started streaming down her cheeks.


    I jumped to my feet and ran to udia, pulling her into a tight hug, just like she did to me when I needed that the most. She sobbed on my shoulder until she found her voice again.


    "Delta found you interesting, just from the things I told him. He wasn''t around when the attack on your pack happened and when you were taken, so he had no idea more women were brought back. After he found out that poor Amelia couldn''t bear his child, Alpha ordered him to take one of us." udia spoke so fast, her words sounded like one messy sentence.


    Slowly, she stepped back, grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes. "Delta didn''t want another woman, but Alpha''s word is thew. Now, he knows about you and I fear he will choose you just to spite our Alpha."


    My jaw dropped. Thest thing I wanted was to be chosen by one of the barbarians here and taken to their home as some sick trophy.


    Just as I mustered the courage to speak my mind, the front door of the house flew open with a loud bang, followed by a deep, gravely voice. "udia, are you hiding her from me?"

 12: She’s coming with me.

    **Aife pov**


    My heart hammered in my chest as I listened to the heavy steps that were echoing against the walls as the man in question made his way upstairs.


    A screech of panic left udia. She shoved me behind her and blocked my view at the door, in time with the bedroom door opening with a loud bang, making both of us jump.


    "Ah, there she is, the one and only Aife," the man chuckled and approached udia. "Step aside. In the name of our friendship, I don''t want to hurt you, but for that, you need to listen to me."


    At his words, cold shivers ran down my spine. He sounded absolutely detached from reality and humanity - a man, who wouldn''t have an issue with killing even those closest to him.


    My first instinct was to step aside and let him see me, let him do whatever he pleased, but the thought was instantly followed with a wave of overwhelming memories.


    I followed my instincts when these monsters ughtered our pack. I followed him, I did what he wanted, and in turn, he still killed my family.


    The leader manipted me into thinking my family might be alive, but that was hard to believe, so at the end of the day - I could see that all of them repeated the same pattern. They all lied. udia followed themand and stepped aside, whispering a weak, "I''m sorry."


    I was sure we all knew her words were aimed at me, not the man, but he still grinned as if he had won a prize of a lifetime.


    First, his eyes took me in. He scanned me from head to toes, so tortuously slowly, I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole just to get away from his scrutiny.


    Then, he reached out his hand and captured a strand of my hair and twirled it between his fingers as the corner of his mouth twitched in a suppressed smile. "Now I see it," he muttered.


    I held my breath, refusing to utter a word that could send me closer to the rock bottom. As if I wasn''t close enough, ha.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see how terrified udia looked. Her face had turned as pale as a paper sheet and her bottom lip trembled.


    "Just like the Alpha said, you are a wild one, aren''t you, Aife? One would think it is mandatory to greet their superior. But you... You stand before me and pretend to be mute. Bad girl, very, very bad girl." The tone he used gave me the creeps but I still refused to speak.


    I wasn''t under any obligation to greet these monsters.


    If anything, they were the ones who had to beg my forgiveness. Beg for the forgiveness of every woman they kidnapped, the forgiveness of every pack they ughtered and left behind, drowning in pools of their own blood.


    I knew that one day, this monstrosity of a pack would meet their darkness. Something so powerful - they would realize there would be nothing left of their pride, just guilt and regret.


    As the thought crossed my mind, he yanked the strand of hair he was holding, forcing a hiss of pain to escape me.


    Again, the corner of his mouth twitched, ever so slightly, but noticeable enough for me to see how much he enjoyed inflicting pain.


    "I like this one. She''sing with me," he announced and looked at udia.


    "Delta," udia cried out. I refused to look away from the man, he had to see that it wouldn''t be nearly as easy to break me as he assumed, but I still could see my only friend drop to her knees from the corner of my eye. "I''m begging you, don''t. Aife isn''t of age yet, she is far too young. Take any woman here, take me, but don''t touch the girl. I''m begging."


    I felt like an invisible w had caught my heart and started squeezing it. The pain spread throughout my chest. udia, someone who barely knew me, was ready to give up on her life just to serve instead of me.


    I admired her just as much as I hated her proposition. It seemed like I was stuck in a vicious repeat of challenges of fate. Once again, I knew I couldn''t let others suffer because of me.


    "No," the word escaped me before I could stop it.


    Delta''s eyes snapped to me as he yanked my hair again. Tears stung my eyes as he brought his face dangerously close to mine and growled, "no, what?"


    "Don''t take her. I''ll go, just please, don''t hurt her," tears started streaming down my cheeks as I struggled to form words.


    "Aife -" udia started, but the words died on her lips right when Delta growled again. This time, the growl was so powerful, it shook the windows of the building.


    "You heard her, udia. She''sing with me, like it or not. I''ve made my choice," he spat. His eyes were trained on me even when he was addressing udia, which was something I found extremely disrespectful, but didn''t dare to bring up. As selfish as it sounded, deep down, I hoped this man was far too full of himself to care about what happened around him. I hoped he would be careless, blinded by his own pride. That would be perfect for me because then, I could surely find a way out.


    At the beginning, I could earn his trust. Everyone, even the rogues, knew that mating a woman before she was of age would kill her. A dead woman brought no use to anyone, so they didn''t dare to touch those who weren''t of age. Following this logic, I had a little over two months to n out my escape. First, I would follow him home. Then, I would follow everymand and order he would give me. And finally, just when he would learn to trust me and wouldn''t suspect anything - I would leave.


    nning my exit felt wrong. I wanted to help the remaining womenbeled as rejects, but sadly, I knew I wouldn''t be able to convince them to leave. From what I noticed, they werefortable in their roles and neither appeared to be too keen to get away from this pack.


    "Pack your bag and don''t try anything. You have five minutes." Delta snarled, pulling me out of my thoughts and finally let go of my hair.


    I watched how he spun on his heel and headed out without a single worry in the world.


    udia instantly rushed to my side, threw her arms around me and started sobbing. Her hold on me became so tight, I knew she didn''t want to let me go.


    "It''s fine. I''ve been through worse. Don''t cry for me, udia, we will still see each other." I muttered and ced my hand on her lower arm, letting her know she had to release me.


    Once she did, udia nodded her head and wiped her tears. "I''ll help you pack."


    It wasn''t like I owned anything here, but we still packed the few pieces of clothing that were in the closet. udia threw a bottle of shampoo and a few packs of pads in the bag, iming pack men didn''t let women leave the territory, so she thought I had to stock up.


    I stood aside and let her fuss around for a little. Ever since I arrived here, udia had acted like my guardian, a mother almost.


    Thinking about udia as a mother, I couldn''t hold it all in. I pulled her into a tight hug and started sobbing myself, crying out the hurt of the loss brought by the monsters.


    I wasn''t ready to leave, but of course, neither of the men here knew mercy. Delta appeared out of nowhere, grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me to his side, effectively breaking the hug we were sharing.


    He grabbed the bag, told udia she had to stay in the house and dragged me downstairs. Even as we approached the door, he didn''t let go. In fact, his grip tightened as if he wanted me to scream, cry and beg him to let me go.


    When he forced me out of the building, I could see all of the women surrounding the house, scowling at me and muttering something to each other.


    I averted my gaze to the ground and gave in, letting the man drag me to his car. He opened the door, threw me inside, and closed the door with such force, I was surprised how he didn''t smash the windows.


    Now, I was almost sure that fate had only one thing in mind for me - from the hands of one tormentor, to another.

 13: You did what?

    **Aife


    pov**


    I was so out of it that I realized the car had stopped only when Delta opened the door and reached in to grab my upper arm. He didn''t speak as he dragged me to a beautiful building, opened the door and threw me inside. Since I had no idea there were a couple of steps behind the door, I lost my footing andnded on the floor face-first.


    "Oh, you poor thing!" A woman eximed. Gentle hands grabbed me and helped me up. Her eyes were wide as she scanned me for injuries and muttered, "are you okay? Did you get hurt? Should I get the first aid kit for you?" As if she didn''t shock me with her appearance and treatment, she had to look over my shoulder and re at Delta. "Have you lost your mind? Who gave you the right to treat a woman like some scum? She''s not a rogue you can toss around and use like a damn toy with your friends!" She snarled.


    "I''m sorry, you know I had to," Delta whined,pletely catching me off guard. His voice had changed so drastically, I didn''t recognize the tone anymore.


    My jaw dropped as I listened to them argue. Was it possible that I lost consciousness and this was some weird dream? There was no way someone could change so much just by stepping inside a building.


    On top of that, I couldn''t believe that any of these monsters could treat a woman like an actual human being, let alone disregard the obvious disrespect.


    When their voices became louder, I knew I needed answers. I raised my hands, waved them, and shouted to catch their attention. "What on Earth is going on here?"


    Delta appeared next to the woman, leaned in and pecked her cheek. "Take her to the living room, I''ll go prepare us some tea so we can talk." He muttered and then turned to me. "Will peppermint work for you? Or do you prefer coffee?" "Peppermint is fine with me," I mumbled, still unsure of what was happening here.


    Where was the man, who had yanked me around and mocked my pain?


    The woman grabbed my hand and shed me a bright smile. "Come on, let''s sit down. And don''t mind Corden, he''s just an old grump, but absolutely harmless." "Heard that!" Delta shouted from somewhere in the house.


    "And I wanted you to hear that!" The woman shouted back.


    I had to look like a fish out of water at this point. As if I didn''t think the pack was backwards before, now, I was sure everyone who lived here had something wrong with them.


    She led me to the living room and sat on the sofa. Just in case, I sat on the one opposite of her, just to keep some distance in case things got ugly. It wasn''t her I was questioning. Delta, yeah, she could tell me whatever she pleased - I knew he was dangerous.


    "My name is Amelia. And yours?" She spoke first, again, shing that bright smile.


    The longer I watched her, the less this situation made sense. How did someone so bright and warm find herself anywhere close to a man like Delta?


    Question quickly faded from my mind as the realization washed over me. Amelia. The same Amelia that couldn''t bear Delta''s child?


    Since my tongue had already proven it was my worst enemy many years ago, it had to live up to the damn expectation and the words blurted out of me before I could stop them. "You''re his choice."


    To my surprise, the smile on her face grew even wider as she nodded her head. "Yes, I am. I got lucky with this one." A giggle left her just as Delta entered the living room and set a tray on the coffee table.


    He handed out the cups with tea and shoved the tray with cookies closer to Amelia. "It''s me who is the lucky one. I don''t know where I would be if I didn''t have this beauty by my side."


    "You flirt," Amelia pped his upper arm right when Delta sat next to her.


    Watching them bicker, I had to admit one thing - they did look good together. Both teased each other andughed like teenagers in love.


    I remained silent while they had their go at each other, just to give them space. While they were distracted, I let my eyes roam the surroundings.


    The house was beautiful, very bright and calm. The white and gray tones that dominated in the interior made this ce appear spacious and inviting. The exact opposite of the vibe Delta was giving off.


    I jumped in my seat as one of them cleared their throat. My eyes snapped to them. Delta didn''t give out a single emotion as he watched me while Amelia looked worried.


    "I must apologize for what happened back there. If it were up to me, I would nevery a hand on you, on any woman, but I had no other choice. It''s not an excuse for my behavior, but please know that I''m sorry for what I did."


    My eyes were nearly as wide at his apology as Amelia''s. While I was shocked this man knew how to admit his mistakes, own up to them and apologize, Amelia looked pissed.


    She pped his upper arm again, all yfulness gone, and raised her voice. "You did what? You hit her?"


    Delta instantly jumped to his feet, raised his hands and backed away. It actually was funny to watch a man as big as him looking so scared of a cutie like Amelia. "I didn''t. Ask her!" He pointed a finger at me, clearly attempting to distract her. Seeing the burning rage in Amelia''s eyes, I decided I had to do something before the situation escted. I cleared my throat and spoke. "Apology epted," I addressed Delta and then turned my attention to Amelia. "He didn''t hit me. Yanked my hair a little, but I''m sure Delta could exin why that happened since he clearly implied he had no other choice."


    Amelia red at him. I seriously started fearing the possibility of her head exploding in rage, but when her eyes found me, her gaze softened. A sigh left her as she shook her head.


    "Corden, did the others apany you when you went to the reject housings?" She muttered.


    "Yes. See, I had no choice. I didn''t want to." Delta blurted out the words faster than a toddler would.


    "Sit down," Amelia muttered and patted the spot next to her.


    Reluctantly, he did as she told. Amelia ced her hand on his thigh and focused her attention on me. "Let''s start with the basics. As you already know, my name is Amelia, and this grump over here is Corden. Will you share your name with me?"


    "Aife," I replied and reached over the coffee table to offer her my hand.


    Amelia grinned, grabbed my hand and quickly shook it. Delta reached out to do the same, but I pulled my hand away before he got the chance.


    "Understandable. I deserve that," he muttered and averted his gaze.


    Amelia pped his upper arm again. "If you keep acting like a child, by the time we''re supposed to head to bed, your whole arm will be covered in bruises from how often I have to p some sense in you."


    I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back theughter that was bubbling inside me. Delta looked like a lost puppy, desperate to find love. Amelia, although tiny, was a firecracker. I liked her.


    At the thought she winked at me. I smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. Under different circumstances, I would love to have someone like her as my best friend.


    Sadly, I couldn''t let her get too close or allow myself to feelfortable around her. I was nning to leave the moment I got a chance.


    "Aife, I need you to understand one thing. What we''re doing here, it''s kind of illegal. We''re dismissing Alpha''s orders. Corden didn''t choose you as his mate."

 14: The bane of my existence.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I gaped at Amelia. "You lost me here. I was told Delta arrived for an exchange?" The words left me as a question even though I was supposed to state a fact. Amelia waved me off andughed. "He took you to create a cover."


    Since she kept talking in riddles and the look on my face had to be a dead giveaway of how darn confused I was about this mess, Delta decided to speak up. "I was ordered to find a new mate. I''m sure udia exined why already."


    I nodded my head, so he kept talking.


    "Let''s say I decided I didn''t want to follow themand. Amelia is it for me. I don''t want another woman. No woman could everpare to her, so she stays. But anyway, since I was supposed to take one in, I decided it has to be you because you know how to hold your mouth shut," Delta grinned as soon as the words left him.


    Funny how he was using something his precious Alpha hated to his advantage.


    "Okay, what now?" I asked as my eyes darted between them.


    "I told Alpha that Amelia would stay here until she was over the new discovery and learned to live with the fact. Alpha thinks I have a new bitch and Amelia is working as our personal housekeeper now. Don''t think that I''m trying to force you into the role of a maid, but I think my Amelia would be very grateful for thepany of another woman and maybe some help around the house."


    I pondered his words a little and decided it was better to stay with the weirdos than go back to the main building. Here, I didn''t have to face their Alpha or run around naked while dozens of men tried to grope me.


    "I told you it wouldn''t work," Amelia muttered, breaking the bubble of thoughts I created.


    My eyes shot to her right as Delta pulled her into hisp. I watched him smother her face with gentle kisses and whisper sweet nothings to her. Now, I understood why she imed she was lucky - they fit together perfectly. "I don''t have to sleep in one bed with him, right?" I blurted out the question.


    Only when the words were out, echoing against the walls, I realized how much trouble I could get into if he took them wrong.


    Honestly, I expected Delta to scream or lunge at me, but instead, heughed and Amelia broke out of his arms. She all but jumped over the coffee table and attacked me with a hug. She even started pressing her lips to my cheek, shouting thank you in between each peck.


    "I''ll prepare the guest bedroom. You two can have some girl time here." Deltaughed as he raised from his seat and walked around the coffee table to free me from Amelia''s smothering.


    I watched how he kissed the top of her head, nodded at me and left.


    Amelia fell back on the couch and let out a happy sound. Thankfully, she didn''t try to kiss or hug me anymore. Seriously, I didn''t think she was this darn strong.


    "You''ve made me the happiest woman on Earth, Aife. I have no idea how to repay you." She announced, looking at the ceiling.


    I wasn''t sure what to say. It wasn''t like I had any say in this anyway. The truth was that I chose the safest of all options I had, I wasn''t here to prove to Amelia that I was this selfless person, who tried to help her out.


    "Bane will be so pissed if he ever finds this out," she suddenly chuckled.


    I perked up a little. Who was she talking about?


    Carefully, I shifted my body into a little morefortable position and repeated the name. "Bane?"


    Ameliaughed. "Yeah, Bane. The Alpha of this pack." She exined, throwing a nce at me. Once she realized I had no idea what the name of the monstrous leader was, she startedughing at me. "Wait, you didn''t know his name is Bane?" "No, I had no idea," I admitted. "He''s more like the bane of my existence. Never bothered to ask, so I didn''t have any idea just how right I was." I added in a whisper, making Ameliaugh so hard, she started wheezing and tears streamed down her cheeks.


    When she pushed her thighs together and screamed, "stop it, I''m going to pee myself!" I startedughing just as hard.


    The more we spoke, the more I wanted her to be my friend. It was stupid and sad at the same time that I had known this woman for minutes and already felt like we had known each other for years. Perhaps the feeling in my chest was nothing but a delusion, but I started wondering if this was how it felt to meet your soulmate. Some stranger that got you from the first word and didn''t judge.


    We literally knew each other for minutes and I already struggled with the thought that I would have to leave her behind one day.


    Later, when Delta joined us and I got another chance to watch how they interacted and acted around each other, I wondered why the Alpha insisted Delta had to find someone else. Hadn''t he seen the perfection these two created together? "Aife?" Delta called out for me, once again, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    I was getting too distracted for my own good. I kept letting my guard down around them.


    "Yes?" I tried to sound as casual as possible.


    "There are a few details we need to discuss. You know, about this arrangement," he announced, pointing his finger between all of us.


    The weirdest questions invaded my mind, but instead of voicing any, I just nodded. Letting them speak was the best option simply because the longer I kept quiet, the more they spoke and that resulted in them spitting out extra details. "So, what I was thinking..." He started and nced at Amelia. She nodded at him eagerly, as if the massive man needed her support. "Yeah, so... You are supposed to pretend to be my new bitch. Technically, it shouldn''t be an issue. As per Alpha''sw, imed women stay indoors or work around the house. They don''t visit the main building and for the most part, no onees here. Having a guest over is a very unlikely possibility. But, in case someonees over, you need to pretend I chose you."


    I raised my eyebrow at him and stole a nce at Amelia. "Okay, but what about Amelia? What is she going to do if anyonees over? Also, I don''t know how I feel about this. Obviously, I understand I don''t have any say in this, but I don''t want to hurt Amelia with this show."


    For the first time ever, Delta smiled at me. "I appreciate your concern, Aife. Trust me, I really do. It means a lot to me to hear you voicing worry about the love of my life. But, you don''t need to worry. Amelia and I already discussed this, she actually came up with the n, so the only thing you have to do is y the role of Delta''s bitch. Shouldn''t be too hard since women don''t speak around other men in this pack."


    They could call me crazy if they wanted, but although they put their ns in words and voiced them so effortlessly, I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something was about to go awfully wrong.


    Thest time I ignored the feeling resulted in the ughter of my pack. If I ignored it again, only the Goddess knew what the consequences would be.


    But s, instead of voicing it, I chose to remain quiet and agree to go along with their n. For Amelia''s sake.

 15: The beast himself.

    **Aife


    pov**


    After I made the decision to y along with their game a week passed and there was no sign of anything going wrong. Although the feeling didn''t fade, I assumed it had to be a stress-rted issue, not an actual inner warning about danger


    nearing us.


    Delta went and came. He spent the majority of the day in the main building, working next to Alpha and the rest of the monsters.


    Truth to be told, I hated to admit this, but he wasn''t half bad after I got to know him.


    Delta loved Amelia more than anything. Two days ago, I watched him swear at the kitchen counter because Amelia identally bumped into it. The furniture couldn''t move, but Delta ignored the fact and spent a good while berating it. Slowly, I fell into a schedule with Amelia. We spent our days discussing things we enjoyed, some hobbies, I told her about my pack and she did the same. In short, we got to know each other better while we busied ourselves with different chores.


    "Aife?" I jumped at Amelia, suddenly calling out my name.


    Since she sounded frantic, I dropped theundry I was folding and ran downstairs. I nearly tripped on the stairs as I tried to notice where she was. "Where are you?" I called out when I reached the bottom of the stairs. "Kitchen, hurry!" Amelia shouted.


    I took off and stopped only when I reached the kitchen door. As soon as I pulled the door open, I was hit by a massive cloud of smoke. "Amelia, don''t tell me you tried to boil pasta again," I groaned as I entered the kitchen and headed for the windows.


    One after another, I opened the windows to air the kitchen out and then, scanned the surroundings. Thankfully, she already managed to get rid of whatever she was cooking.


    When my eyes set on Amelia, I wanted to facepalm myself. The sheepish grin on her lips called trouble.


    "Okay," I sighed and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "What did you do?"


    Amelia kept looking anywhere but at me since the walls had to be more interesting than my presence. I started tapping my foot against the tiled floor, letting her know I was losing patience.


    "Fine," Amelia groaned and rolled her eyes at me. "I tried to make that soup thing you mentioned the other day. Remember when we spoke about your mother''s fertility issues and you brought it up? I was thinking that maybe it could help me too. Corden really wants kids, lots of them, and I really want to make his dream a reality."


    Now, I regretted ever asking and bringing up that detail. Unintentionally, I had given Amelia false hope for a better future. Delta told me in secret that they had seen far too many doctors and all of them said the same thing - trying was useless. Amelia wouldn''t be a mother. Not in this lifetime.


    I was just a bypasser who had already epted the reality while she was struggling. That made sense because it was her life, while for me, it was something I watched happen to others.


    The look on her face made me feel even guiltier for even opening my mouth, so I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and offered to help her. We had plenty of time to y around the kitchen while Delta was on patrol duty. Amelia sat on the kitchen counter as I tossed out the burned pot and grabbed another one. Her eyes didn''t leave me as I grabbed the ingredients and exined them.


    "I have another question," Amelia perked up when I added water to the pot.


    "Shoot," I chuckled.


    "How are you doing this?" She asked.


    Slowly, I ced the pot aside and nced at her. "Doing what? Would it kill you to be a little more specific?"


    "You''re an Alpha, aren''t you?" She blurted out.


    I felt like blood left my head and rushed down to my feet, making them incredibly heavy. Then, all of a sudden, I was lightheaded and swayed in my step. I had to grab the countertop to steady myself. "What?" I choked out the word. "Aife, what happened? Should I ask for a doctor?"


    "No," I shook my head. "No need for doctors. I just... You caught me off guard, that''s all."


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t intend to bring up anything that makes you ufortable. I was just wondering... Shoot, no wonder Corden always reminds me I''m too curious for my own good. I always make everyone ufortable with my questions. I didn''t mean to. Sorry."


    It wasn''t that I was surprised by her words. No. It was the initial shock of anyone here recognizing my title. The title I didn''t deserve. There was no such thing as packless Alpha.


    "It''s fine. Really," I forced a smile to erase the worry she felt.


    "I will never bring that up ever again. Promise," she announced as she jumped off the counter and approached me to ce her hand on my shoulder.


    I shook my head again. As much as I appreciated her effort in making me feelfortable, I knew I couldn''t escape the truth. I was who I was, no amount of denial and secrecy could make it go away.


    "I don''t mind. My initial reaction is poor for most part. But I really don''t mind."


    "I really hope Corden wille back home soon. I''m craving some fast food today. Might send the poor guy out to the city to bring us some crap food," Ameliaughed awkwardly.


    She was so weird whenever she tried to change the topic, it was getting a little ridiculous.


    Since my reaction to her question pretty much ruined the mood, I decided to focus on the darn soup. Amelia handed me her notebook so I could write down the recipe while she kept stirring the contents of the pot. Surprisingly, she didn''t burn anything while she had someone watch her cook.


    When the silence became too much even for me, I decided to get rid of the tension. "How about we drink some tea?"


    Amelia instantly perked up and grinned. "Yes, please. Tea sounds wonderful right now."


    I got to work on preparing it. As I grabbed the cups and put the kettle on, Amelia hummed a melody under her breath and kept stirring the pot.


    Once the water was ready, I grabbed the cups and poured the boiling water over the tea bags. When I filled both, I ced the kettle back in the ce and spun around to ask Amelia if she wanted sugar, but didn''t get to ask anything as I identally bumped the cup off the counter.


    The ss shattered next to my feet. Amelia gasped, grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the crime scene.


    "I''ll clean that, don''t worry, idents happen," she whispered, trying to console me seeing how bad I felt about breaking the stupid cup.


    "No. You''re the woman of this house, remember? I am your forever maid, so it should be my job to clean up. Besides, it''s my fault, only fair if I get rid of the evidence," Iughed.


    "Woman of the house or not, you''re an Alpha, so you hold a higher position than I do," Amelia tried to argue, still grinning at me.


    My lips parted, but no word escaped them as we were startled by the kitchen door, flying open and hitting the wall.


    Amelia and I jumped to look in the direction and gasped as we realized we had an unexpected guest. The beast himself.

 16: You’re a sucky friend.

    **Bane


    pov**


    A week had passed without any incidents. As suspicious as it was, I felt relieved to know there wasn''t anyone who was trying to stir up shit behind my back. Thest issue that came to my attention was some bullshit at the rejects housings.


    Of course, I knew many would act up for the sole fact Corden didn''t choose them, but I managed to silence them when I announced that next to choose was Beta.


    I didn''t have any attacks nned for the uing months, so if any of my men wanted a woman by their side, they had to pick from the leftovers or wait until we got more.


    "I can hear you thinking from here. What''s up?" Zion sat on my desk and reached out to ruffle my hair. I hated this habit of his, but tried to remain as calm as I could because he was my friend. "Nothing." I grumbled.


    Zion pulled his hand away andughed. "You can fool the Beta in me, not the best friend in me. Spit it out, what''s on your mind?"


    I ran my hand through my hair to undo the damage he had done and sighed. "I don''t know. Something''s off. It''s too... quiet? I feel like we''re stuck in the state of calm before a storm, you know? There''s always something going on around us, so I suppose I''m growing suspicious."


    Zion hummed and nodded as he listened to me talk. He took a moment to ponder my words and finally agreed. "Actually, I can''t believe I''m saying this, but I agree with you. Have you tried to talk to Corden? He''s more in touch with everyone than both of us put together, he surely would notice if anything was off."


    Now that Zion was pointing this out, I realized that the only times when Corden crossed my mind was when I thought about the fuss the rejects created.


    In fact, I didn''t ask him anything about the new bitch he chose and if she''s adjusting well. Also, I never bothered to ask how Amelia was.


    Honestly, it sucked to admit it, but I was a truly shitty friend.


    Most things I did were based solely on the obligation I had to my pack. I couldn''t think with my heart, I had to use my brain, so most times - I came across as a heartless moron.


    The more human side in me knew that what I did was unfair. Disregarding Amelia as unfit just because she couldn''t have children was a dick move. I knew how much they loved each other, I saw the happiness they brought to one another, but still ignored it.


    The leader in me knew how important the next generations were for us. If I let Delta ignore thew and do whatever he pleased, the rest of the pack would use me of ying favorites and demand the same treatment. Nope, couldn''t let that happen.


    "Bane? Are you still with me?" Zion shouted, waving his hand in front of my face.


    Shit, I was getting too distractedtely. Once I started thinking about one thing, my thoughts brought me somewhere far away.


    "Yeah," I cleared my throat and rose from my seat. To avoid the ufortable look Zion was giving me, I walked to the window and looked outside. "I haven''t seen Corden around since the day of the exchange. He came over before he left to grab one of the rejects, and since then, we''ve only spoken over mind-link." I admitted.


    As expected, Zion groaned. "You''re a sucky friend."


    "I know," I chuckled, somehow finding the situation amusing. "He''s on patrol duty today, so I will talk to him a littleter when hees here to fill out the paperwork."


    Since Zion didn''t make more sound and there weren''t any sarcastic remarks, I knew he was satisfied with the answer I gave.


    Zion, Corden and I grew up together. I kind of had a weak spot for those morons. They were my best friends, my forever partners in crime, so maybe that was why I felt so shitty after all. That, or I had grown a conscience. Not likely.


    "When am I supposed to go there, though?" Zion asked. Now, I had to figure out if he had said anything before this or the question was just another random bit of his thoughts.


    "I will need a little more context to that before I can answer the question."


    "The rejects, duh," Zion huffed. I could picture him rolling his eyes and crossing his arms in front of his chest just so he could sulk like a proper toddler. "Still don''t get why I''m the one who has to take a reject. Can''t I find someone myself? I don''t want those bitter bitches."


    "And this officially marks the end of our therapy session. I''ll see you next week, same ce, same time," I groaned.


    "You''re a total asshole," he snarled. Zion was quick on his feet, so the p on the back of my head that came secondster didn''t surprise me. "Total, total asshole," he added.


    I ignored his attempts to anger me and justughed at his outburst. "Of course, I''m an asshole. As for your question - the sooner the better. In fact, you can go now. Pick whichever you want." Iughed.


    Zion didn''t add anything as he stomped to the door and left the office, mming the door so hard, the sound of his action echoed against the walls. My shoulders slumped as I pinched the bridge of my nose. Dealing with everyone''s temper was getting tooplicated.


    Was one calm day without drama really too much to ask for? Speaking of which, I knew I had another thing to do. I had to apologize to Corden and Amelia. I had to exin my reasoning to both of them.


    First, I tried to mind-link Corden. I checked the time and realized it waster than I initially thought. He had to be here fifteen minutes ago. I tried to reach him again, but nothing.


    Then, I started pacing the office. Corden never blocked me out unless he was at home, busy having sex with his woman.


    And that thought angered me. I could live with many things, but if someone in my pack chose pleasure before their responsibilities, I wouldn''t tolerate that. Even if those were my closest friends running around and acting like damn teenagers. Before I made any rash decision, I tried to mind-link him again. Nothing. Bloody fucking nothing.


    "Fuck this shit," I muttered and headed out.


    If Corden wouldn''te to me, I would go to Corden.


    Reaching his house took no time whatsoever. In less than five minutes, I stood at the main door of the building. At first, I thought about knocking, but quickly deemed the idea as useless if I wanted to catch my friend fucking around during work hours.


    I opened the door as quietly as I could and stepped inside. The ce looked the same as thest time I visited him, but something about the energy had shifted. That had to be because of the new woman.


    As I entered the living room, I expected to hear sounds of those two going down at it, but there was nothing. However, what caught my attention was the voices that came from the kitchen.


    I snuck closer like some damn criminal and stood at the door, listening in on the conversation behind the door.


    Everything seemedpletely normal until I heard Amelia''s voice. Corden warned me she would stay around for the time being, so her presence didn''t surprise me. It was her words that caught me off guard. *"Woman of the house or not, you''re an Alpha, so you hold a higher position than I do."*


    I didn''t listen to what mighteter. Instead, I kicked the damn door open and watched them both jump just to face another damn surprise. Next to Amelia stood Aife, the off-limits reject.

 17: He wasn’t my Alpha.

    **Aife


    pov**


    My jaw dropped. So did Amelia''s, but apparently, she was better at hiding it. My eyes snapped to her as Amelia dropped to her knees and averted her gaze. "My Alpha, wee," she greeted him.


    Amelia''s hand shot up to grab my wrist. She tried to pull me down, clearly to repeat the same shit she was doing. Well, deep down, I understood why she acted like that and also got the hint that I was supposed to follow her lead. However, as always, against my better judgment and any survival instinct I might have left in me, I remained still and didn''t drop to my knees.


    Survival was pretty important, but so was my damn pride. He had stripped me of everything but that. Besides, he wasn''t MY Alpha and I refused to feed into his delusions by addressing him as such.


    I looked away from Amelia to stare at the monster himself who now had a satisfied grin across his lips. Slowly, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised an eyebrow at me. Forcing my lips in a thin line, I shook my head. He could die waiting, I still wouldn''t do it.


    The next moment, his eyes clouded. He was out of it for a few seconds until he red daggers at me all over again. "Living room,dies. Corden is about to arrive, we have some rather interesting shit to discuss here." After barking the words, he spun around and walked out of the kitchen.


    I instantly helped Amelia to her feet. She grabbed my shoulders, dug her nails into my flesh and shook me. "What is wrong with you? Are you suicidal? Don''t you know what he is capable of?" She whisper-yelled at me. The corner of my mouth twitched. "Maybe death is the freedom I truly seek," I whispered, ced my hands over hers and slowly peeled them away from me. "Let''s go, your Alpha is waiting." Amelia''s face fell, but she did her best to hide how upset she was at my words. I didn''t intend toe across as rude, but a part of me really wanted to rub in the words. That man wasn''t our Alpha. He just wasn''t. He was someone who killed our families and took us from them in the process. Someone like that didn''t deserve to be addressed as an Alpha. He was a criminal who washed his hands in the blood of innocent people. Amelia hid behind me as I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.


    He sat on the couch and just as I was about to sit down on the one opposite of him, he shook his head. ¡°No. You sit next to me, Amelia sits there and waits for Corden. You have some exining to do. All of you." Honestly, I wasn''t bothered by his presence as much as I was with the tone of his voice. That man sounded too calm.


    Worst of all, he didn''t only sound calm, he also looked unbothered. Men like him didn''t wear expressions as one on his face right now. If he sat there looking stoic,pletely deprived of emotions, I wouldn''t feel scared. Amelia nudged my side, effectively breaking the bubble of my thoughts as she did. Slowly, I walked around the coffee table and sat on the couch, keeping as much distance between me and him as I could. But of course, the asshole had to make the situation much worse by moving closer.


    At one point, he was so close his knee brushed mine. As if it wasn''t enough already, he threw his arm around me and gripped my shoulder tightly enough to leave a bruise of his handprint on it.


    "Amelia," he started, still silently torturing me. "Maybe you want to start before Corden arrives and we can pick up with him from where you leave? You see, I am very interested in how this situation came to life." While the monster smiled, Amelia looked like she prayed that the ground would open and swallow her whole just to get out of his sight.


    I understood why she reacted like that. I wasn''t too fond of his presence either, especially when he was this close. In fact, at this point, I too hoped the ground would open, but instead of Amelia, it should swallow the monster and rid us all of his presence for good.


    It was a shitty thing to think, I knew that much, but without any regret, I could admit that I truly thought that the world would be a better ce without him.


    "I would rather not, if it''s okay with you," Amelia muttered, her gaze cast to the floor.


    The asshole actually had the audacity to chuckle. "I mind, I very much do mind. I need answers, Amelia, the sooner the better. You know that I''m a busy man and not the most patient person around here, so start talking while I''m still nice." Seeing the fear in Amelia''s eyes as she gazed up and sensing it radiate from her, I couldn''t let her take the me. Here I was, all over again with the ages old bullshit, the forever saviorplex.


    I knew that the words I was about to say wouldnd me in trouble beyond anyone''s imagination, but I still went for it. "It''s my fault," the words spilled out of my mouth just as the front door of the house flew open and a very frantic Delta joined us.


    To my surprise, he red at the so-called Alpha without a word and immediately joined Amelia, grabbing her face and checking her for any signs of injuries as he so often did.


    How the man that sat next to me couldn''t see how much Delta loved Amelia was beyond me. Those two were meant for each other in any sense of the word, and honestly, I felt truly sorry for everyone trying to stand in the way of the happiness they shared.


    "Wee home, Corden. A little birdy told me that whatever is happening behind my back, in your house, is her fault," the monster announced.


    Delta tore his gaze away from Amelia and looked at me. I tried to give him a pointed look, but the best I could muster had to be a somewhat pitiful re.


    Sighing, Delta released Amelia and told her to head to their bedroom. To my surprise, their stupid Alpha didn''t stop her from leaving. If anything, his only reaction was to grip my shoulder with more force, nearly making me wince in pain. The only thing I wanted was to get his dirty, disgusting paw off of me. If I had as much as a butter knife in my reach, I would try to cut off his hand just to get it away from me.


    I managed to zone out while Delta came clean about everything. I knew I should have paid attention, but instead, I chose to pretend that I wasn''t here, sitting next to the man who had killed my family, friends, and destroyed the only ce I had known as home.


    Only when the bane of my existence, who ironically was named Bane, started shaking me, I came back to my senses. The asshole had the gall to wink at me when I shook my thoughts away.


    When he knew I was present enough to follow his words, he turned his attention back to Delta and spoke up. "I don''t care how you twist this situation, Corden. You fucked up. Amelia fucked up. And most importantly, this little birdy fucked up - big time. I will take your words with a grain of salt simply because we are friends and you tend to say things just to remain on my good side. This one, however," he dug his nails in my shoulder.


    Delta tried to interrupt him, but the arrogant ass just raised his hand and shook his head. "I barely know her, but she tends to spit her raw thoughts right in my face. This time, I will forgive you and Amelia. As for whates next for you two, well, that depends on the birdy. I just decided that she''sing with me and her ability to behave will determine your future."

 18: Think about it.

    **Bane pov**


    This unexpected visit to Corden''s house provided me with the perfect opportunity to snatch the neer and have some fun with her without anyone suspecting a thing.


    Although I refused to admit it out loud, there was something about her that caught my interest and drove me closer, much to my displeasure.


    Maybe it was partly because she was the first woman we took from a pack that actually willingly volunteered to leave with us just to save the pitiful people there. Or maybe it was because of her passion to defy me.


    I couldn''t figure it out. For the first time in my life, I had no answers to questions that ran through my mind far too often.


    To top it all off, somehow, she managed to make silence into a weapon, and fuck, did that irritate me beyond my capability to exin the reason behind it.


    "What?" Corden jumped to his feet, his eyes darting between me and the reject I was holding.


    "Bane, you can''t be serious. Didn''t you listen to anything I just said? I told you, word for word, I brought her here as a cover to keep Amelia. You don''t have to punish Aife just because she tried to be a good person despite not knowing us at all."


    My eyes followed him as he started pacing the living room and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "No, you can''t think I will allow this," Corden groaned and stopped, turning his body so he was facing me.


    A slight smile spread across my lips as I stood from my seat and tilted my head a little. "And when did I ask for your permission? Have I missed the day when you became the Alpha of this pack?"


    Corden''s eyes widened a little, but he caught himself before it was too obvious. He shook his head and chuckled as if I just told a joke.


    Honestly, my words didn''t sound near as close to a joke as his following ones did. "How about I take Amelia and we leave the pack? Since you are so adamant in breaking us apart and refuse to let us live in peace, I don''t see any other solution to this situation."


    His threats to leave the pack did nothing but anger me. Corden literally begged me for years to be the Delta and now, he was ready to drop it all because of a woman?


    Regardless of the reasons, he acted like an entitled hypocrite. He was one of the first men who signed thews regarding women we took from the packs. In fact, he came up withbeling the infertile ones as unfit, and now, he had the gall toin about his idea?


    "Amelia stays here. In case you forgot, she is a property of this pack." I stated calmly. Corden grew visibly annoyed by my announcement, so I took the chance to add, "as for you, you''re free to go. In fact, in the name of our friendship, I will give you a headstart. An hour sounds fair. Once the hour passes, you''re fair game. No restrictions."


    Now, he couldn''t hide the shock on his face even when he tried. Slowly, Corden backed away and shook his head. "Y-You wouldn''t," he stuttered.


    I shrugged,pletely unbothered by his reaction. "You know me better than I do it seems. Because I would. And the sad part is that you know that I fucking would," I spat the words though gritted teeth.


    This situation wasn''t just about my best friend going behind my back. It also was about him, literally stabbing me in the back while I didn''t pay attention. He knew better than to assume it was possible to walk away unharmed. After all, he wrote thews with me.


    "Delta?" The reject behind me perked up.


    I nced over my shoulder to see how worried she was growing. My eyes darted back to Corden. His face became as pale as a paper sheet and his bottom lip trembled.


    Rolling my eyes, I was honestly over and done with this childish show. Everything in life came at price, even the decisions we made.


    Corden nced over my shoulder, eyes set on the troublemaker. "Leaving this pack is impossible. You can try to run, but you will never escape. It is thew. If you leave, the rest of the pack goes after you. A hunting season," he exined and then looked back at me. "Something even the best friends of the leader can''t escape as it seems."


    Now, I was sure this was just another temper tantrum.


    Although a part of me truly cared about those who were close to me, I knew better than to trust anyone blindly. I had gotten myself in plenty of trouble by believing someone I should have never trusted to begin with. "Are we done here, Delta?" I snapped, emphasizing his title for Corden to understand I wasn''t ying around anymore.


    Unlike him, I had shit to do and responsibilities to address.


    His shoulders slumped as he cast his gaze to his feet and sighed in defeat. "Yes, we are, Alpha. I will head to the main building shortly to fill in the patrol paperwork."


    Listening to Corden submit like a lost bitch made me grin. It was about time he remembered that everyone in this pack had a ce, and so did he, regardless of the title he held.


    Feeling rather generous, I checked my watch and chuckled. "Five minutes. Amelia can bid her goodbyes to the reject, I will wait at the main door. And don''t try to pull off anything, I won''t be as forgiving the next time you try to fuck me over." With that being said, I spun on my heel, winked at the reject and headed for the door. As soon as I stepped outside in the fresh air, I felt like a massive weight had fallen from my shoulders.


    I truly invited the calmness and relief that was brought to me by the silence outside, but sadly, it didn''tst for nearly as long as I needed it.


    No longer than a minute after I exited the house, Corden joined me. He leaned against the door and looked up at the sky, seemingly deep in thought.


    Although I was a little curious about why he decided to join me, I didn''t ask. If he had anything to tell me, Corden had to pull up his big boy pants and speak up like an actual adult. "Don''t you think you''re too much sometimes?" He muttered.


    "No," I replied without thinking. His eyes instantly snapped to me as I shoved a hand in the pocket of my jeans and pulled out a pack of smokes, offering one to Corden.


    I wasn''t a big smoker and neither was he, but at times of disagreements, we stood aside and smoked while he shared his thoughts with me.


    "Have you ever regretted even onew that we wrote as teenagers?" Corden barely whispered the question.


    I knew what his answer would be if I asked him the same question. However, unlike him, I had no regrets. I had learned a long time ago that I had to live with the decisions I once made, bad or good. "Nope,¡± I answered just to get him off my back and lit up the cigarette, offering him the lighter.


    Corden snatched the lighter from my hand. His lips pursed around the cigarette as he exhaled a plume of smoke and shook his head in what seemed to be disbelief.


    Corden pped his hand on my shoulder and chuckled, "beware, Bane. One day, the decisions we made mighte back and bite you in the ass just like they did to me. Look at me, I wrote thew, left my signature under it and now, I''m biting my own fingers for the things I did while I was young and dumb. The mindset I had then isn''t the same I have now. If I had known back then... In short, I would do anything to keep Amelia. I will do anything. Just... think about it."

 19: Put yourself first.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I wanted to say goodbye to Amelia and I didn''t at the same time. Partly because I believed that for as long as I didn''t, this wouldn''t feel as real. Maybe a bad dream, yes, but not reality.


    Thankfully, she listened to Delta and didn''t exit the bedroom even when I walked past it. Although I had no idea if I was allowed to take anything with me, I decided it was better if I packed up a few things before he took me away. The only thing I truly feared was the possibility of being thrown into the main building as a toy for his sick pack members to y around with and chew.


    Well, to bepletely fair, I also feared the possibility of being forced to stay with that man. Like only the two of us.


    So, there were two things I didn''t want to happen, but I couldn''t see any other option happening either. He wouldn''t be as nice as to throw me back to the rejects anyway.


    Tossing the bag over my shoulder, I mentally bid goodbye to the room I had called home for a week. Then, I walked out and down the hall.


    Passing Delta''s and Amelia''s bedroom was harder this time. I was dying for a chance to open her door and hug her just once before he dragged me away, but right as I decided to go for it and reached for the doorknob, Delta called my name from downstairs.


    I dropped my hand to my side, focused my gaze to my feet and left without saying goodbye. Maybe that was for the best. Maybe avoiding the tears and empty words would make this easier.


    As I hurried downstairs, I noticed Delta at the bottom of the stairs. When he noticed me, a look of relief crossed his features and I realized he could have thought I tried to run.


    Reaching him, I gently ced my hand on his shoulder and whispered, "I wouldn''t run. It would harm Amelia, so I wouldn''t dare to."


    Delta looked like he was barely holding back the tears. Then, to my surprise, he pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, "I know. You''re too good to be true. As much as I appreciate you, sacrificing yourself for others, stop doing it. Put yourself first. Please."


    He let go of me as someone cleared their throat behind him. I nced at Delta just in time to see him wipe tears off his cheeks. He didn''t turn around when he spoke; instead, focused his eyes on the top of the stairs. "As promised, I will head to the main building soon."


    "I''ll see you around," the monster himself chuckled.


    I stood there like a lost puppy, unsure of what I was supposed to do. Since Delta kept looking up, I didn''t dare to gaze in the same direction, knowing Amelia had to be standing there, watching this mess unfold with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for treating me like a human being," I muttered to Delta and slipped past him.


    Although I felt broken in every sense of the word, one thing I refused to do was to submit to the tyrant of this pack.


    As I neared him, I made sure to look straight into his eyes and let him see the insane hatred that burned in mine. If not more, I wanted him to know just how much I despised him.


    "Come along, leftover, we have ces to be and things to do," heughed as he reached his hand towards me and grabbed my upper arm to drag me out of the house.


    I didn''t look back even once. Doing so would be literally letting him know how close I had be with Delta and Amelia, effectively giving out the weakness I had.


    One of the things my father taught me when I was a child was that our enemies couldn''t learn our weaknesses because they would do anything to use them against us. In this situation, whenever he would want me to do something, he could threaten to hurt someone and I would break.


    For the most part of him, dragging me after him like some toy, I didn''t pay much attention to the surroundings. That is, until we got closer to the main building.


    Thoughts, ran by my fear, assaulted my mind. Would he really fall that low to actually throw me to an actual pack of wolves just like that?


    As much as I feared ending up with those men all over again, I felt ten times worse when Bane dragged me away from the building.


    The realization struck me like a lightning bolt. He was most likely bringing me to a separate housing, somewhere private where he could do Goddess knew what.


    Since my thoughts were already all over the ce, I decided to act like the grown up I was supposed to be and question him. I cleared my throat and spoke up, "where are you taking me?"


    "Home," he replied without any hesitation.


    "Funny, thest thing I remember is you blowing up the ce I knew as home. Am I to live in ruins and ash now? Notining, I would dly take that over anything."


    I knew I started rambling, but with my thoughts, the speed my heart was beating at and the fear that coursed through me, I couldn''t stop talking even if my words were nothing but nonsense. That was what stress did to me.


    Just as I admitted to myself that I made little to no sense, he stopped and I identally bumped into him. The impact was strong enough for me to fall back, but before I reached the ground, his arms wrapped around me and saved me from the fall.


    I would rather kiss the ground than find myself in his arms like this.


    "There''s no need to beat around the bush and keep bumping into me, reject. If you wanted to be touched by me, all you had to do was ask. After all, I am just a man and you''re not half bad looking. At the end of the day, a hole is a hole." He grinned.


    The skin on my face had to have turned green in disgust. "Touched by you? I would rather eat millions of tadpoles straight from a pollutedke than ever be touched by someone as rotten as you!" I growled.


    It took all my self-control to hold back from spitting in his face, because Goddess knew how passionately I wanted to do that.


    Wordlessy, he released me and I fell to the ground. My eyes widened as he shrugged and chuckled. "Whatever suits you. I like my bitches with ws anyway, so you''re not doing yourself any favor here. The more you refuse and fight me, the more fun this game bes for me."


    I ignored every word that left him as I slowly stood up and grabbed the bag I identally dropped.


    His eyes instantly focused on it. Then, as he looked at me, he raised an eyebrow. "What''s that?"


    "A bag?" I replied in a sarcastic ''duh'' tone.


    One thing I had to admit was that he was fast. Very damn fast. In a matter of seconds, he snatched the bag from me and threw it away. Then, he grabbed my neck and forced me against the nearest tree, getting his face too close to mine. "Listen here, you useless mutt. You''re in my fucking territory, what I say goes, not the other way around. Test me like this once more and soon, you will learn that there are worse things I am capable of than making you run around naked. Far worse things than that. Got it?"

 20: Offer a helping hand.

    **Aife


    pov**


    The more time I spent around the so-called Alpha, the more sure I was that he had a stick so far up his ass, he could probably taste it.


    It had been barely three days since he threatened me and dragged me to his house and I was already feeling like I was trapped in pits of hell.


    Last night, I barely closed an eye. Maybe thirty minutes after falling asleep, I woke up because of an odd feeling, just to find that creep standing next to my bed, staring.


    As he exined, he had stood there waiting and ring because he wanted me to bring him a ss of water. Of course, he couldn''t just go downstairs and fetch one himself, he needed me for that.


    Every time I started dozing off, I jerked in bed because of my paranoia of him appearing out of nowhere and doing unimaginable things to me.


    That was the downside of sleeping in the enemy''s house.


    And today, when I woke up, he instantly sent me to the kitchen to do the dishes. Needless to say, I had no idea when he managed to create such a mess, but the guy left the kitchen in a worse condition than a war field.


    He had two sinks in the kitchen, both piled with dirty dishes. There were leftovers of food even on the walls and honestly, as I started cleaning, I could imagine him throwing spaghetti at the walls just to spite me. "I''ll need you in the garden next," he announced as he entered the kitchen, startling me out of my skin.


    I wanted to scream at him so bad, but I knew I had to learn how to control my temper, if I didn''t want to give him a chance to fulfill his threats.


    "Yes, Alpha," I replied as calmly as I could.


    His head shot up and eyes tore away from the phone he was holding. From the corner of my eye, I could see the look of sheer shock on his face, and for some reason, I enjoyed it.


    At this point, every time I acted like an obedient little maid, his reactions were far better than those when I kept defying hismands and title.


    "Yes, Alpha?" He repeated my words as a question, emphasizing the Alpha part.


    "Is something wrong?" I asked, faking concern.


    He stoodpletely dumbfounded for at least two minutes until he managed to break out of the state of confusion and started shaking his head like the rabid dog he truly was. A manicugh escaped him as he stalked closer to me. "Well, I''ll be damned. She grew brain cells."


    I had no idea what game he was ying this time, but I did my best to act unfazed by his behavior. This time, thankfully, he didn''t try to grab me and drag me around like a rag doll.


    "I think I like this new, submissive side of you just as much as I like the stubborn side. You''re full of surprises. Anyway, finish up here and then join me in my office so I can tell you what''s the next thing on your agenda for today," he announced, winked at me and left the kitchen.


    As soon as the asshole left the room, I felt like I could breathe again. Just staying close to him was an actual torture and the longer he stuck around, the more I wanted to bash his face against the wall and leave him bleed to death. There were no words I could use to describe just how much I hated him.


    As my blood started boiling in anger, I wondered how someone could be that delusional. He just hopped from pack to pack, killed everyone in his way, and then, acted as if he hadn''tmitted a crime.


    If I managed to get out of here alive, which already for itself felt like an impossible task, especially after the details I learned from Delta, I had to go to the Council and tell them what this man was doing.


    Fuming and mumbling curse words under my breath, I zoned out until I realized I had cleaned the mess in less than an hour. First, when I entered the kitchen, I was sure it would take me a week to get rid of the catastrophe he created. Thankfully, I was wrong.


    I walked around the kitchen to double check every bit of the room and ensure I hadn''t forgotten or overlooked a speck of dirt. Once I was absolutely sure it was done, I went to look for the asshole.


    I had to take a few deeper breaths to brace myself as I stood at the door of his office. Slowly, I raised my hand and knocked on the door until I heard his voice call out, e in!"


    Goddess, the moment I did, I wished I hadn''t.


    The monster sat on the sofa in the corner of his office, legs spread wide, his pants dropped to his knees and his, umm, thing, exposed. He was actually holding himself and panting as his hand started moving up and down the ugly thing. A loud gasp left me as I spun around to look away. Thest thing I wanted was to watch him pleasure himself. Sick asshole.


    "Hey, what''s wrong sweetheart? Don''t tell me this is the first time you''ve seen a dick," he chuckled.


    "I''ve seen one before and it was plenty enough for me," I spat back.


    Truthfully, I was grateful he didn''t catch on to the meaning behind my words because while he was talking about the thing he was holding in his hand, I was addressing him.


    All he did wasugh at me for a few seconds and then, a loud groan broke theughter. I stood aside like an idiot, suffering through the awful sounds he was making until I couldn''t take anymore.


    "May I please leave and return when you aren''t as busy, Alpha?" I spat the words through gritted teeth.


    "No," he moaned. "I''m almost done here."


    Shivers of pure, raw disgust ran all over my body. I wanted to be anywhere but here. At this point,ying dead in the ditch or burning in the mes of hell seemed like a much better option than sticking around this shameless man.


    Worst of all, I had a feeling that he knew that there was nothing that could make me suffer more than the things he was doing.


    No punishment was worse for me than embarrassment.


    I knew it sounded absolutely ridiculous, but it was true. I had been shouted at, beaten up, tortured and thrown in the cells a couple of times, but those things never made me feel even half as bad as this did.


    I suspected it was that way simply because physical pain came and went. It wasn''t hard to bury memories like that andpletely forget about them until triggered.


    This type of behavior, however, was the haunting, random thought that just popped in one''s mind in the worst moments possible. A memory impossible to erase,ing back with a wave of emotions to remind one just how bad it was.


    A psychological torture? Perhaps that was his approach. Perhaps he stripped, humiliated, ridiculed, and exposed me to all these things to burn them in my memory forever?


    Suddenly, I was startled out of my thoughts by a loud, growl-like moan. "Fuck!"


    I pulled my hands in tight firsts while he kept cursing and mumbling something.


    "You know, reject, this would feel way better if you''d have the balls to watch me jerk off. Or even better, if you offered a helping hand," he kept mocking me.


    Ignoring his words, I sucked in a deep breath and focused on ying the obedient maid. "I finished cleaning the kitchen, Alpha. I believe you mentioned something about the gardens, may I know what is the next thing you want me to do?" Holding my breath, I waited for the nextmand. No sounds came, so I deemed it a safe situation to turn around and check if he hadn''t died. I wish I hadn''t.


    The moment I spun around to look at him, he was right in front of me. He shoved me against the door and pressed his body so close to mine, even my skin felt sick. Then, he leaned closer to whisper, "why didn''t you offer me a helping hand, reject?"

 21: Remain a virgin.

    **Aife


    pov**


    He was so close, his breath fanned my skin and I absolutely froze. Mentally, I kept willing myself to move, to p him across his face so hard, he would forget his name, or better yet - kick him right where he was just gripping himself. And yet, I couldn''t.


    No matter how many times I screamed at myself in my mind, I couldn''t break out of my own mind. My limbs felt boneless, like jelly I couldn''t control.


    I realized I had stopped breathing only when the monster stepped away and startedughing. "You should see the look on your face. Did you die just now? Absolutely priceless."


    As I stood there and watched himugh at my misery, I couldn''t believe I allowed anyone to have so much control over my life, emotions and most importantly - fears.


    The uglyughter became louder as it echoed against the walls and the sound kept annoying me more with every second that passed. And at one point, it pushed me over the edge.


    I couldn''t take it anymore. "You brainless piece of shit," I hissed, stepped closer, pulled my hand back and pped the smug look off his ugly face.


    My reaction surprised me even more than it did him.


    Slowly, he brought his hand to his cheek and grinned, "you actually pped me." He announced, sounding both surprised and excited at the same time.


    My initial thought was to apologize, as I would whenever I did something bad, but I knew I hadn''t done anything wrong. Then, I thought of mocking the look on his face, just to return the same energy he had given me seconds ago, but I pushed the idea aside.


    Instead, I just stood there, pulled my hands in tight fists and tried to breathe the anger out of my system. It was getting harder to do as my nails pierced the skin of my palms and dug into my flesh, but I ignored the stinging pain.


    "The gardens, Alpha." I spat out the words, ring daggers at him.


    I watched him drop his hand to his side and shake his head in amusement. "You know, since I was in a good mood, I would dly ignore the p. Truth to be told, it was hot. The words you spat at me, yeah, that''s something I can''t ignore." My eyes widened as I listened to him rant. This man had to be the most delusional person ever to walk the face of Earth.


    Honestly, a part of me kind of hoped that the p would piss him off so much, he would lose it and kill me on the spot. I actually felt disappointed that he didn''t.


    But what he did next instantly had me overthinking my entire life. Every decision and action I had made, including the p from a moment ago.


    Bane plopped back on the couch and raised an eyebrow at me. "There are two ways you can earn my forgiveness," he started, and raised one finger. "One - you give me the most mind-blowing blowjob of my lifetime right here, right now." My face must have twisted in disgust because his grin became so wide, it looked like it could split his face in half as he added another finger and said, "two- tonight, during the private party I''m hosting, you are on the table." Now, I was confused. What the hell did he mean by saying I was on the table? Did he want me to dance or sleep on that damn table?


    "Ah, I see the wheels twisting in your mind. Although I know you have an ability to think, I doubt your intelligence, reject. On the table as in literally, on the table. Anyone who wants you gets to fuck you. A little constion prize for the emotional and physical torture you inflicted on poor, ol'' me," he said, pointing at the cheek that had the red imprint of my hand on it.


    Tears filled my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. This wasn''t how I had ever imagined losing my virginity and experiencing intimate things with a man.


    Although his sick ideas scared me to no end and I was sure he had no problem acting on his words, the idea that popped in my mind was way worse than anything he could do or say.


    Gathering thest bits of the courage I had in me, I reminded myself I was an Alpha and could act like one, regardless of the circumstances.


    I sucked in a deep breath and squeezed my fists with all my might, ignoring the blood that poured from my hands.


    "Alpha," I started, hating the bitter aftertaste of the word left in my throat.


    "I''m all ears, reject," he mused, clearly eager to listen to what I could say.


    Against my better judgment, I opened my eyes and stared straight into his, showing no hint of fear whatsoever. "I know the concept of many things might seem foreign to you and your pack members, but some of us know our worth and do try their best to keep it."


    One of his eyebrows nearly shot up to his hairline as he leaned forward, "carry on, consider you have caught my attention."


    I hated how eager he was to listen to me, creating a clear scenario of my own downfall.


    "I am a virgin," I admitted.


    First, he looked taken aback, as if I caught himpletely off guard, but then, he smiled too brightly as he stood up and started pacing the office while he kept running his hand through his hair. "Correct me if I''m wrong, but I could swear you just told me you''re a virgin," he said, sounding like he was struggling to hold back a fit ofughter.


    "That''s exactly what I said," I retorted.


    One thing about any high ranked man and especially an Alpha was that those sick men really loved to be first in everything. Anypetition they had toe in first. Sports, talents, drinking games and even women - they had to be the first


    ones.


    "Looks like I''ll be choosing for you then," he suddenly stopped and turned to face me. There was a glint of mischief that danced in his eyes and I already knew I wouldn''t like what he had to say even before the words spilled over his lips. "You''re on the table tonight. But not for everyone. You''re it for me tonight."


    Bile instantly rose up in my throat, but I managed to force it back down even when he excitedly rubbed his hands together. "An Alpha female and a virgin? Look at me, hitting the fucking jackpot."


    Before he could carry on with more disgusting remarks, I cleared my throat and set myself up for the one thing I had tried to escape even when I lived in the pack he had destroyed.


    "My father had promised my hand in marriage to a very well-known and powerful Alpha. The deal wasn''t based on uniting the packs and territories. It was money. A lot of it."


    My words caught his interest. "How much money are we talking about here?" He asked.


    "Ten million if the marriage happened within a week after my twenty-first birthday. Which is two months from now." I announced.


    He took a moment to think and added. "That''s actually perfect. I get to have my fun with you, be the first one to try out that pussy, and then, instead of thinking about how I could get rid of you, I can simply sell you off. Thanks for the head- up, reject," heughed.


    Theughter died down the moment I dropped the most important piece of information. "Alpha Killian agreed to hand over the Northern territories and pay five times the money if I remain a virgin until we are officially wed. Since I can''t go back to the pack and retrieve the agreement my father signed, I can''t remember every detail, but I do recall many uses, all of them stating I was not allowed to get involved with a man. You don''t have to believe me, so feel free to phone Alpha Killian and ask him a couple of questions, I''m sure he will dly answer them all if you mention me."

 22: What’s so special about you?

    **Bane


    pov**


    I couldn''t believe that luck as such could ever shine upon me. Who would have thought that I had the only weakness of that asshole Killian right in the palm of my hand?


    Surely, if he was willing to pay that much money and even hand the best of hisnds, he saw something in this girl. But what was it?


    I took my time taking her in as if I was doing it for the first time. She wasn''t exceptionally gorgeous, but undeniably beautiful.


    Most of the time, I saw her cover away like a scared mouse, trying to escape a predator, but in some rare moments, she let the Alpha in her shine through, which was pretty interesting to watch. Looks and title aside, I couldn''t help but wonder why Killian wanted her. What was it that made him go out of his way to actuallye up with a contract and have it signed prior to time? Seeing how she wasn''t budging and didn''t offer more details, I decided to call her bluff. There was no way she was telling me the truth. She simply didn''t want either of the options I gave her. The smug smile on my lips didn''t fade as I walked around my office desk and grabbed the little ck notebook with phone numbers of other Alphas.


    I sat in my chair, found his number, dialed it and waited, keeping my eyes on her.


    After the first three signals, he finally picked up my call.


    "Killian," he growled out his name as if he hated it. Ha, if only he knew that he wasn''t the only one who felt the same about the damn name. A good number of Alphas couldn''t stand his guts.


    "Killian, buddy, how are you? Long time no see?" I sounded so cheerful, he had to understand I was faking it.


    A low, annoyed chuckle left him before Killian let out a breath and spoke again. "Alpha Bane. Long time, indeed. Tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of this sudden call?"


    He was unhappy and that fact alone made me feel incredibly giddy. I almost started giggling like a schoolgirl as the moron on the other side of the line started breathing a little louder, waiting for an exnation and a chance to end the call sooner.


    "Well, I was wondering why I haven''t received a wedding invitation yet. Am I not invited?" I winked at the reject as I dragged the words.


    Killian stopped breathing. I believed he did because his line became so silent all of a sudden, I could probably hear a pin drop.


    It took him far too long to gather himself, which was the very moment when I realized the reject wasn''t lying. She was telling me the bloody truth. It seemed that myment about hitting the jackpot turned out to be more true than I thought.


    Just as the thought crossed my mind, Killian finally came to his senses and spoke. "Alpha Bane, I have no idea how you found out that there were any marriage ns to begin with, but I suppose that detail is not of importance anymore. The wedding has been called off."


    He sounded tired. But more than that - devastated. And Goddess, did I enjoy listening to his misery.


    A sudden sense of happiness filled me, but I quickly shook it off and cleared my throat. "Oh? May I ask what happened? You see, I have been hearing the talks about the uing marriage of the greatest Alpha known, so it truly upsets me to hear about the change of ns."


    The sharp intake of breath gave out just how much he hated listening to my words. And yet, for some reason, he didn''t hesitate to exin more. "My bride''s pack was attacked, viciously wiped off the face of Earth. We are still trying to figure out who attacked and there is an investigation going to find out if she died along with the pack members or if she is missing."


    My eyes focused on the reject. I had a choice to make here. I could tell him I had her right this moment, but I didn''t doubt she would spill the beans about the attack the moment I sold her off.


    I knew Killian, as powerful as he was, had no chance to stand against me. But even with that knowledge, I wanted to avoid any possibility of starting a war, especially over a damn woman. "Oh, no, that sounds awful. I am so sorry about this," I lied through my teeth.


    "Thank you for the support. I''m sorry if Ie across as rude, but I wonder if there is anything else you wanted to address. Surely the invitation couldn''t be the sole reason for this call. As you probably can imagine, I''m not quite myself after the tragedy struck."


    "No other reason at all. I was calling just to pull your leg in a friendly way, that''s all. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help." With the words leaving me, I leaned back in my chair and grinned at her.


    Honestly, I was surprised she didn''t utter a word yet. It almost seemed like she didn''t want Kilian to know she was here and alive.


    Now, that detail made me ever more curious than I was earlier. Why did she bring it up not to use the chance to get out of here the moment Killian answered the call? Clearly, she managed to get rid of my previous conditions, but now, I wondered how she nned to escape Killian.


    Just on cue, he spoke up. "I hate to ask for help, you know that, Alpha. However, if you insist, I wouldn''t say no to more eyes paying attention to people whoe and go around the territories. My bride''s name is Aife. Unfortunately, since I agreed to her father''s condition, I haven''t seen her for a couple of years, so I can''t give you many details about her appearance. The only thing I can rely on in this situation is that no one could mistake her for someone else - Aife is an Alpha female."


    "I will give you a call if I happen to find your bride, Alpha Killian," I grinned and pulled the phone away from my ear.


    He started thanking me profusely, but I didn''t listen to more than I needed to and ended the call.


    Finally, I had an actual advantage over that asshole.


    I wanted to celebrate, to jump to my feet and scream my heart out in happiness, but the prospect of my moment was ruined when her voice echoed against the walls.


    "See. I told you, I''ve been promised to him. I didn''t lie."


    At this point, I feared that if I kept grinning like this, I would split my face in half. "You, my dear reject," I started as I stood from my chair and walked around the desk to approach her. "You are my ticket to a lifetime ride in the promisednd." She furrowed her eyebrows but didn''t utter a thing. I could never stopining about theck of intelligence this woman possessed, but despite my own words, I knew she wasn''t dumb.


    Every move she made, at least for most part, was well-thought and calcted. Even now, I could see it in her eyes - she was nning how to get out of the mess she had created.


    Except, I never said that I was truly handing her over to Killian. I could do that in a heartbeat. But, if I did, would anyone tell me why she was so important that he actually went out of his way to investigate her disappearance and dig through the ruins of her pack?


    It seemed that every time I thought I had figured her out, I was hit by twice as many questions than she answered.


    "Why does Killian want you? What''s so special about you?"

 23: Let me open your eyes.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Bane didn''t stop trying to press me for answers I didn''t have until his guests started arriving. At first, I thought I was doomed to an evening of misery, but nothing could prepare me for what actually happened. While initially, I assumed his guests would be the pack men, those who arrived, actually came with women under their arms.


    The more arrived, the clearer the pattern of his guests became - these were the men that had imed women as mates, not the regr pack members.


    At first, I actually enjoyed myself in the kitchen, cooking and serving the dishes as the women came and went, offering me drinks orpany for a little while. However, when I finished my work in the kitchen and set thest of the dishes on the tray, I had that well-known, sinking feeling in my gut.


    And boy, was that feeling spot-on.


    The moment I left the kitchen, I nearly dropped the tray with the food I was carrying. I had no idea how I did it, but I managed to fight my way through the masses and set the tray on the main table.


    What I witnessed was a full-blown orgy. People were having sex and performing different acts of pleasure to each other in every corner of the house. It seemed that the only untouched area was the kitchen, which I deemed a safe space as I bolted right back.


    Sadly for me, the moment I entered it in hurry, I didn''t notice someone standing there, waiting for me. I ran into the bane of my existence full-force, and once again, almostnded on the floor. Only almost because he managed to catch me.


    "You''re making running into me a habit, reject," he chuckled as he steadied me.


    Huffing, I turned my face away from him and mumbled a weak, "my apologies, Alpha, I wasn''t looking where I was going."


    I hated admitting that I wasn''t paying attention just as much as I hated addressing him as Alpha.


    He grabbed my chin and forced me to face him. At this point, Bane was too close to me to feelfortable, but I ignored the intense disgust that surged through me.


    "Apologize again, but this time, look into my eyes so I can see you''re not faking it," he muttered, bringing his face impossibly close to mine.


    Just a slight movement would be enough for our lips to touch. I had a feeling he not only knew that, but also did this on purpose to push my buttons.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I stared into his eyes and repeated myself, "my apologies, Alpha, I wasn''t looking where I was going."


    The corner of his mouth twitched before a wide grin spread across his lips.


    In all honesty, I had no idea what game he was ying here. Alphas hated it when someone looked into their eyes, it was seen as a sign of great disrespect, but this one, asked me to do it.


    Maybe it was different because I, too, was supposed to be an Alpha? Or perhaps this was yet another of his twisted tests to prove something? How many hidden agendas could a person have?


    "Tell me, reject,¡± he whispered, brushing his thumb over my lower lip and sucking in a sharp breath. "Tell me what triggered you so greatly to drop the walls you have built around yourself and be careless enough to run into people?"


    My jaw nearly hit the floor. Did this moron want me to tell him word for word that I didn''t want to be present around people while they were indulged in a mass orgy?


    Wasn''t me, admitting that I was a virgin, enough for him to understand something so simple?


    And yet, I decided to y by his rules. If I did anything to trigger his insanity, there was no doubt he would pass me over to Killian.


    "Again, I am very sorry for running into you, Alpha. I had no idea you were here. If I had known, I would have been more careful. As for your question, although I hoped it would be clear, I don''t feelfortable around masses of people joining a sexual act."


    The more I spoke, the more my face burned. At this point, even the tips of my ears had to be bright red.


    Never in my life did I imagine I would have to exin myself to a man, especially about topics as such.


    What truly surprised me was the frown on his face. Bane released my chin and took a step back. Then, his eyes traveled over me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes and the frown on his face only deepened.


    "Weird," he hummed. As if he wasn''t a freaking weirdo all this time, he had to prove that he was worthy of that title as he sniffed the air and then, chuckled, "shit, how is this possible?"


    Since it felt like the question was meant for him, not me, I didn''t offer ament.


    I just stood in front of him, awkwardly switching my weight from one leg to another while he sunk deeper in his thoughts. I truly hoped he would get so upied by them, I could find a moment to sneak away before he came up with another sick punishemend.


    But of course, as my luck would have it, Bane broke out of his thoughts and shook his head.


    Then, he sniffed the air around us again and let out what sounded like a displeased hiss.


    "Why are you not aroused, god damn it? You just witnessed the hottest fucking thing one could see, that room if filled with powerful scent of arousal and bodily fluids. How that doesn''t turn you on?" He suddenly asked, catching mepletely off guard.


    Now, I had to figure out how to exin something I couldn''t exin. How was I supposed to know why the view didn''t excite me? All I knew was how much it repulsed me.


    Ever since I learned what mate bond and sex were, I had thought that intimacy between two partners was special. The two had to share a connection of sorts before they shared their bodies.


    But what was happening in the room behind my back was nothing close to what I had imagined. All I could see there were bodies piled on top of bodies, all of them grabbing, gripping, squeezing and pping one another as if there was no


    tomorrow.


    How could they call what they did a special moment with their partners? Did they know no shame?


    "Ah, I get it," Bane called out, startling me out of my thoughts. The grin on his lips didn''t fade as he stepped closer and stood right next to me. He threw an arm around my shoulders and pulled me flush against his side. "You''re stuck in the world of delusions. You are one of those who believe sex is special, right? Well, let me be the first one who can open your eyes to reality then."

 24: A little trouble in paradise.

    **Aife pov**


    At first, I had no idea what he meant when Bane imed he would open my eyes to reality. And unfortunately, I understood the meaning behind his words when it was already toote.


    His hand gripped my shoulder as he spun us both around and literally dragged me out of the kitchen, back into the epicenter of filth that I so desperately tried to escape.


    Just as I was about to squeeze my eyes to avoid looking at them, Bane warned me with a low gowl. His grip on me became bruising as he leaned in and whispered, "watch. Don''t dare to close your eyes or avert your gaze. You have to watch them while I exin."


    My body froze in his arms and I stopped breathing. I didn''t want to be here, I didn''t want to watch them, and even more, I didn''t want to be held by one of these monsters.


    No one paid any attention to us as Bane cleared his throat and started speaking. "That couple," he muttered, pointing a finger to a red-haired woman and a dark, brawny man. "That''s a blow-job, the thing I mentioned earlier today. Might look pretty vile to someone inexperienced, but it''s actually pretty fun."


    Mentally, I prayed he wouldn''t go into details, but of course, he had to have an ability to read my mind and do theplete opposite to spite me.


    "Oral sex is a pretty simple act, if you ask me, but obviously, you must have questions. It works like this - a woman or a man who gives the blow-job basically sucks on the cock. Someone, who''s experienced enough and knows what they''re doing usually knows how to rx the muscles in their throat and slide the cock deep in their throat. Throat fucking is amazing, I believe for both parties, one day you should try it out."


    Just imagining the things he was describing made me sick. I was pretty sure I vomited in my mouth, but of course, he didn''t care about how ufortable I felt about all of this.


    "No teeth involved or you might lose them, sweetheart. Don''t even think about biting down on it. Oh, also, I absolutely love it when she swallows the load. For future reference," he purred in my ear.


    I had no idea why Bane was doing it, but whatever was his goal, he was getting close to it. I was about a step away from emptying my gut in front of dozens of people that were surrounding us.


    My heart started hammering in my chest as Bane slid his hand from my shoulder to my breast and squeezed it painfully. I wanted to scream at him, to p away his hand, but instead, I reminded myself of the games he was ying. For the second time in one day, I pulled my hands in tight fists and dug my nails into my palms to focus on the pain, not his vile doings.


    Rather amused, Bane pointed his finger to the next couple. My eyes followed the gesture unwillingly.


    "They,¡± he muttered and ran his tongue over the skin of my neck.


    The action made me gasp. He chuckled as my body locked in the position, my muscles unable to move and my lungs started refusing to cooperate. It felt as if I had a wildfire in them, burning every time I tried to suck in some air. "Don''t you see how much she''s enjoying herself? The position is called the reverse cowgirl, and well, I think it''s pretty self-exnatory. The best part about it is that everyone around them can enjoy the view of her tits bouncing while her partner gets to watch his cock slide in and out of her."


    And again, I didn''t offer a word in response. If Bane wanted to ensure I would hate everything about the thought of ever having sex - he had gotten what he wanted.


    I didn''t care that most people around us genuinely looked like they were enjoying what they were doing. The view was disgusting and vile, their pleasure meant nothing to me.


    As it seemed, Bane was dead set on making my misery as great as possible. His hand released my breast and snuck under my shirt. Some eyes turned to us as Bane slid his hand inside my bra and cupped my breast. "Nice size you have here, reject. Not too big, not too small, perfect fit for my hand," heughed out loud. The very moment, moreughter joined his, both from women and men.


    The humiliation he was creating for me was far worse than the one I remember from the first day he took me here. Standing absolutely naked in front of all those men didn''t feel half as bad as I felt now that he was publicly groping me and I couldn''t fight back.


    Tears filled my eyes but I refused to let any fall. As if on cue, Bane captured my earlobe between his teeth and once he released it, he thrust his tongue behind my ear, leaving his disgusting saliva on my skin.


    "Don''t worry, reject," he whispered and sucked in a deep breath. "You''re my toy, not theirs. I don''t share what I im, so for as long as you behave, no man or woman will touch you."


    I didn''t believe a word he said. I refused to put any worth to any statement that left his lips.


    His grip on my breast tightened, almost making me cry out in pain in time with a low, deep growl that escaped his lips, overpowering the sounds of moans and pants in the room. "Fuck," he hissed. "You have no idea how much the scent of your fear turns me on, reject."


    My eyes widened at his statement.


    Now, I wasn''t that sure about ying his game anymore. I had hoped he would consider sending me off to Killian and I could figure out how to escape as I went, but if Bane decided to take what Killian wanted to have - the deal would be off and I would be trapped here for good.


    Or at least until Bane grew sick and tired of me.


    "If you take what he wants, Killian will call off the deal," I blurted out without thinking.


    The moment words were out, Bane froze. No one but him heard me, and no one really bothered to pay attention to me anyway.


    But Bane, yeah, that asshole paid attention. In fact, too much even.


    What I didn''t expect was for him to pull his hand out of my bra as if I had burned him. For a brief moment, I almost felt relief as he created distance between us. But of course, it wouldn''t be Bane if he didn''t act like an absolute psychotic jerk. He slid his hand behind my head and grabbed a fistful of my hair. Then, he yanked on it with such force, I couldn''t hold in the cry of pain anymore.


    "Don''t mind us, a little trouble in paradise. Enjoy yourselves while I teach this bitch some manners," Bane called out to his guests as he dragged me back inside the kitchen.


    The moment the door behind us closed, he threw me on the floor and stood over me. I wasn''t sure what to expect, a beating maybe, but when I looked up at him and met his gaze, I knew he was nning something way worse than leaving a couple of bruises.


    "On your knees."

 25: You call yourself an Alpha?

    **Aife


    pov**


    I shook my head like a madwoman. No, he wouldn''t. He couldn''t.


    My eyes started frantically darting everywhere, looking for an escape from the monster that was looming over me, nning to do unspeakable things to me.


    Even without looking directly at Bane, I could see the crazed look on his face.


    "I said on your knees," he repeated himself in a dangerously low tone.


    All my instincts were screaming toply and endure whatever he was nning just to survive another night. The moments I begged for death shed before my eyes, making me realize I didn''t want to die after all.


    I was too young, I had my whole life ahead of me and this monster had no right to take it all from me.


    The tears that had previously brimmed my eyes escaped and streamed down my cheeks as I fought myself and followed hismand.


    When I sat on my knees, my shoulders slugged in defeat and gaze cast down, a deep, amused chuckle left him.


    I knew he was more beast than a man, but I never thought that even someone as vile as Bane would find so much pleasure in breaking me.


    This was it - truly, my rock bottom.


    "And you call yourself an Alpha? Pathetic," Bane hissed.


    His words cut pretty deep, but not nearly as deep as the sound that followed them. It echoed against the kitchen walls and froze my senses - all of them.


    Seconds dragged out as the sound overtook even my mind. I was stuck in a neverending nightmare with Bane, dly taking the role of my tormentor.


    Slowly, the realization that I couldn''t escape him, no matter how I tried, sunk in and crushed me.


    I held my breath as I waited for what woulde next. A part of me was sure I could endure anything he would do while the other screamed I would break and take my own life if I didn''t get to my feet and risk it all for a stupid attempt to run. When I heard the sound of his zipper, sobs escaped me. I couldn''t take it anymore.


    This man was nning to take thest thing I could call my own, thest thing I had control over, and I had no bloody say over anything.


    I should have known consent didn''t matter to monsters.


    "Look up, reject," he snarled and my head snapped up.


    The corner of his mouth twitched as Bane stepped closer and brought his hand to my face, cupping my cheek. I didn''t look or flinch away. "Broken, just how I like them," he muttered in an unusually calm and gentle tone.


    Bile instantly rose up in my throat, but I ignored it. I ignored the painful feeling of stabbing in my chest and the tears that flowed down my cheeks.


    He wanted me broken, he wanted to watch my fighting spirit leave me, and he got it. What else could he ask for? My virginity? Yeah, I had a feeling I wouldn''t have it by the time the party ended anyway, so what was the point in fighting anymore.


    Bane held my face as his other hand slid in his boxers. Then, he slowly slid the boxers down to reveal his erection. He didn''t possess an ounce of shame as he nearly shoved the thing in my face.


    I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to see me flinch away, but since I didn''t, a frown instantly appeared on his face.


    Funny how he imed he liked ''them'' broken, which in turn should also mean numb, but still wanted to get a reaction out of someone he destroyed.


    "Look at it, baby, it''s all yours if you learn how to beg like a good girl should," Bane announced. Amusementced his words as a sparkle of excitement danced in his eyes.


    Thest thing I wanted was to beg him. He might have managed to break me beyond repair, but I wasn''t another pathetic bitch who would beg him for something. Clearly, thest bits of defiance I had in me annoyed him. Bane lowered himself until his face was in one lever with mine and growled at me. "I said beg, reject."


    I had thought of doing this thing so many times, but every chance I got, I decided against it... But not now. Not this time.


    He had a n in mind for me and with what I already suspected he would do, there was no way he could think of anything worse, so I just went with my desires. Instead of giving what he wanted, I spat in his face.


    First, Bane lookedpletely shocked. So taken aback, he took a fair amount of time to process what I had done. Then, I met the consequences.


    Bane straightened his body and before I could see it, his hand connected with my cheek with such force, I was thrown back on the floor and my lip was bleeding.


    I had to look like my eyes were about to pop out of the sockets as I stared up at him. My hand covered my cheek, which was already swollen and burning from the impact.


    "That look of pure fear on your face is way better than the scent of fear," he groaned. "Don''t fucking dare to move a muscle, reject," Bane added as his hand wrapped around his erection.


    I looked at his face, avoiding any lower body part at all costs. At one point, he started moving his hand faster and threw his head back with a loud, long groan escaping his lips.


    The more sounds he made, the closer I was to emptying my stomach. For a brief second, I even wondered how any sane woman could find THAT arousing.


    "Fuck," Bane muttered, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Just like that, don''t move," he added.


    Whatever was going on in his sick mind, one thing was clear - this man needed professional help. He wasn''t sane enough to be out in the public, let alone lead a pack of murderous, crazy men that followed every whim of his.


    My eyes left Bane for a second, seeking an exit while he was distracted with working himself off, but when I noticed the door near the cab filled with dishes, it was toote.


    Bane''s sharp intake of breath and groan echoed against the kitchen walls before I could react and something wet sshed all over my face.


    Horrified, I slowly turned my face to look at him, only to meet a grinning face. Once again, Bane lowered his face to be in one level with mine and brought his thumb to my lower lip.


    Disgustingly slowly, he ran it over my lip and then, brought it between his. He licked something off it and winked at me.


    Completely lost to what was happening, all I could do was stare at him. Perhaps the look on my face gave out just how lost I was to what he did, which made himugh at my misery.


    Bane leaned even closer, so close I could feel his breath fan my skin when he whispered, "technically, as a reject, you don''t deserve this, but... my cum does look good on your face. You''re allowed to go back to your room, but if I find out you took a shower and washed my scent off of you, I won''t let you off this easily anymore."

 26: I hate you.

    **Aife


    pov**


    In thest attempt to save my dignity, I looked into his eyes and snarled, "I hate you."


    A satisfied grin spread across his lips as Bane zipped up his jeans and winked at me. "I know, reject, trust me, I know."


    Once I managed to get back to my feet, I didn''t walk, I ran to the room.


    As soon as the door behind me closed, I locked it. Bane had told me I couldn''t lock it, but the warnings he spat at me didn''t matter anymore. I even moved furniture to block the doorpletely. Sweat covered my body, my hands shook, and my knees gave out from under me as I broke down in the middle of the room.


    I had no idea how much time I spentying down with my knees pulled to my chest and sobs escaping me, but when the slight gleam of sun broke through the curtain, I realized it had to be hours. Somehow, I managed to push my body off the floor and wobble to the bathroom.


    His words echoed in my mind as I started the shower and stripped down.


    If I had to choose between walking around and smelling like that monster''s personal bitch or death, I chose to dig my own grave.


    The moment I stepped inside the shower, I broke down again.


    No matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t remember one time I had cried even half as much as I cried ever since the beast brought me here.


    When I felt like there were no more tears left to cry, I grabbed the loofah and started scrubbing my skin until it turned bright red. The more I scrubbed, the more it hurt, but I still didn''t stop.


    In fact, I felt more disgusted, so, when my mind screamed my efforts weren''t enough, I gave in. I dropped the loofah and dug my nails into my skin, breaking it and drawing blood as I frantically tried to rid myself of the scent of the beast.


    I destroyed every piece of skin I could reach. My neck, face, arms, breasts, legs, belly - everything I could think of. Every bit of me he had touched.


    Soon enough, I started feeling light-headed and I had to support my body against the wall. I tried to stay upright, but it became more difficult, so I sank down and focused on ripping my skin off my body.


    My vision turned blurry as I watched water wash away my blood and smiled at the view. Perhaps, unintentionally, I managed to free myself of his clutches.


    A weed sense of peace washed over me as I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the tiled wall. My nails still dug in my flesh, but I was numb to the pain. Finally, I felt like I could rest. Like I could fall asleep without fearing the moment I woke up in the same hell all over again.


    Bane didn''t haunt my reality and dreams anymore.


    I was so rxed, even the distant shouting and pounding didn''t disturb me. In fact, it turned into nothing but a meaningless background noise as I smiled at my misery and let go.


    ***


    I was startled awake by a loud beeping sound. It annoyed me beyond exnation, and honestly, at first, I really tried to ignore it.


    Unfortunately, my attempts turned out to be useless when I realized that I wasn''t in the same ce where Ist remembered myself.


    Blinking my eyes open, I tried to remember if I could recall the room. Had I finally died and ended up in some weird afterlife space? No, it didn''t sound even rtively possible as the room appeared to be too real. My body ached and burned as I sat up in the massive bed.


    As my eyes scanned the surroundings, I still couldn''t recognize the ce. But what caught my attention more than the gray walls around me were the blood-soaked bandages around my legs.


    I was wearing arge T-shirt, which obviously wasn''t mine.


    My hands shook as I gripped the fabric and brought it to my nose to smell it. Just one whiff was enough to make my worlde burning down in mes. The shirt reeked of Bane. Come to think of it, if I paid a little more attention to the room, I would notice sooner that everything around me had an intense smell of that scum.


    As my heart started pounding against my ribcage and panic surged through me, the beeping sound became louder, more erratic, and the only thing I wanted was to rid myself of it.


    I grabbed the IV and was about to rip it out of my arm, when the door to the room burst open and a man rushed in.


    He was next to the bed in seconds. The man gripped my wrists and held them in one hand, as if he needed to restrain me. I was too tired to fight back, so I just stared at him.


    When I noticed the massive, dark bruise around his left eye, I raised an eyebrow. Seeing my confusion, he just chuckled and shook his head while muttering, "the Alpha is very angry at you. It was a stupid thing you did back there. I get it, he must have pushed you to do it, so I won''t me you, but if anything happens to you - we are the ones who will see the consequences. The ck eye is nothingpared to what he would do if you wouldn''t have pulled through." It was a bit odd how amused the man sounded. Maybe every person around Bane was used to his sick antics, but I didn''t find anything he did even remotely funny.


    While I kept overthinking, the man slowly released my wrists and reached for a ss of water.


    He held the ss as I took a sip and even pulled it away with a warning that I shouldn''t hurry.


    "Not that it matters, but my name is Trevor," he chuckled as he brought the ss to my lips again.


    Following his words, I tried my best to drink slowly even though my throat felt as dry as ever. Once he pulled the ss away from my reach again, I sighed and dropped my gaze.


    A part of me wanted to ask questions about where I was and why I was there. The other partughed at the need as I already knew where I was and the most likely reason why.


    Thankfully, Trevor had to be godsent - he didn''t wait for me to speak up. "You hurt yourself pretty badly. If it weren''t for the couple that were looking for a private room, I doubt anyone could help you. They caught on the smell of blood and brought that to Alpha''s attention. The rest is pretty much a history."


    His voice was gentle and calm. I almost thought that Trevor felt bad for me and everything I went through ever since I was taken here.


    That was, until he decided to add more. "Listen, I know you won''t like this, but I need to follow the protocol if I don''t want to lose my job. Don''t make me out to be the bad guy, please, I have a family to feed."


    Sighing, Trevor stepped away from the bed and spun on his heel, about to head out. "I need to tell the Alpha you''re awake," he muttered and left the room.


    I wanted to scream at him, to beg him to give me another minute without that monster in my personal space, but even with tears that once again filled my eyes, I couldn''t find my voice.

 27: I’ll give you a bath.

    **Bane


    pov**


    Two days. It had been only two goddamn days as I was already losing my mind.


    I couldn''t eat, couldn''t sleep and focus on jack shit.


    One drunken mistake I made pushed her so over the edge, she single-handedly came up with a way how to fucking try to kill herself and put my ns in jeopardy. Of all the reactions she might have, this one was thest I could think of.


    I needed to break her, that fighting spirit in her, and ensure she understood it was in her best interest to follow everymand I gave, nothing else.


    Driven by nothing but pure frustration, I groaned and tossed the paperwork off my desk. I couldn''t focus on the things I enjoyed, let alone piles of stupid documents. Just as I was about to trash the ce to get rid of that pent up anger, someone knocked on my office door.


    "Come in," I growled and ran a hand through my hair. A weak attempt to calm down.


    The door opened and Trevor stepped in. He was one of the doctors that recently joined my pack, the one I chose to look after the little, suicidal troublemaker. "Alpha," he greeted me and bowed.


    "Any news?" I didn''t waste time on unnecessary pleasantries.


    Everyone in the pack who mattered pretty much knew how important it was for me to ensure the girl lived. Trevor including.


    If she didn''t pull through, there was no way I could control Killian. For as long as I had something he desperately wanted, Killian was nothing but a puppet in my game. "She''s awake," Trevor announced.


    At the words, I shot to my feet and roared at him. "You should have started with that part!"


    Trevor stepped aside as I rushed past him and out of the office.


    While she was unconscious, I didn''t enter the bedroom. I swore to spend my nights in the office or any of the guest rooms just to ensure the doctors had easy ess to her and there was plenty of room for medical equipment. Now that she was awake, she could forget about any chance of having a moment to herself.


    I was hell bent on staying around. Fuck it, I would breathe down her neck every second of her life if that was what it took to ensure she stayed alive.


    Before I could notice how fast I moved, I already stood at my bedroom door.


    From now on, I couldn''t make more mistakes. I had to think twice each time I spoke and acted, simply to ensure she didn''t think of pulling the same trick again.


    Slowly, I brought my hand to the handle, twisted it, and opened the bedroom door.


    Reject sat on the bed, seemingly deep in thoughts, eyes cast down.


    I froze in the doorframe. This was the first time I had ever seen a woman wearing my shirt.


    My affairs were very private and I always made sure my flings didn''t get toofortable. But this one, it wasn''t even an affair, more like an unpleasant situation for the both of us.


    But facts aside, I couldn''t deny that I liked the view.


    Sure, it would be way better without all that medical crap surrounding her and the blood-soaked bandages all over her body, but still.


    There truly was something oddly magic about a woman, wearing my clothing while she sat on my bed.


    What was even weirder was that I didn''t feel like her presence was an invasion of my privacy. Ever since I could remember myself, I hated having anyone in my personal space, but I couldn''t im I hated her presence. At least for now. Once I managed to break out of the stupid thoughts, I straightened my posture and quietly closed the door behind me.


    Then, I stepped closer to the bed and cleared my throat to grab her attention.


    Her head shot up and eyes focused on me.


    In all honesty, she looked like absolute shit. Tired, weak and broken beyond repair. This type of broken wasn''t exactly what I meant when I said I liked my women broken. No, this was too much.


    The moment the thoughts about the possibilities of having gone too far started running through my mind, I quickly shook them off and focused on what was more important. "You''re awake," I stated.


    My voice came out weaker than I intended it to be and her reaction was pretty much non-existent.


    As I stepped even closer and sat on the bed, she tried to move away from me. Tried, being the key word. The moment she attempted to move her body, a weak hiss of pain left her.


    Of course, now that I knew she hadn''t gotten her wolf yet, I knew the healing would take more time than for anyone else.


    "Don''t move around too much. You need to rest and heal first."


    Funny how even I found my statementpletely ridiculous. In a way, I was responsible for her state. Notpletely since she did this to herself, but I was sure hearing something like this... well, I had to be thest person she wanted to hear to say those words.


    And again, I had to shake off the stupid thoughts and focus on reality.


    "How are you feeling?" I finally asked.


    Her eyes took me in as if she looked at me for the first time. Then, her mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but not a sound left her. A cute frown appeared on her face soon after.


    Cute? Wait. What the fuck was I thinking? Since when did I think of this reject as anything close to cute? It had to be some stupid, new sense of guilt that guided my thoughts, yes, that had to be the case.


    I cleared my throat and mimicked her frown. "Well?"


    She opened and closed her mouth again, I could see that she was genuinely trying, but since she didn''t seed, she gave up. I watched how her shoulders slumped as she pointed at her neck, as if trying to tell me something. It took me more time than I would like to admit to realize she couldn''t speak.


    "You nearly wed your throat out, so I suppose it makes sense. The doctors said you have a good chance at full recovery, so let''s not dwell on the negative for now." I exined as I already thought of a couple of doctors I should call to check on her in near future.


    Since she couldn''t speak, I decided to try to read her bodynguage and answer questions I could catch on.


    Her eyes scanned the room. "You''re in my bedroom," I stated. When her eyes widened, I chuckled. "I need to keep an eye on you so you don''t pull off a stunt like that anymore."


    Clearly, she wasn''t happy about this new development, but she brought it upon herself, so I decided toy out all of the new rules for her.


    "From now on, you''re moving into this room. I had the maids bring all of your stuff here while you were unconscious anyway. I will work from my bedroom so I can be around at all times. You''re not allowed to leave my side, no matter what. Now, stop acting like any of this surprises you and let me help you out of the bed. You stink, I''ll give you a bath."

 28: You’re not leaving.

    **Aife pov**


    His announcement didn''t just catch me off guard. It filled me with such intense dread, I felt like I was about to pass out on the spot.


    Slowly, Bane reached for something and freed me of the weird things that were sticking to my body. I didn''t move a muscle while he focused on the things he was doing.


    Honestly, it was so weird to hear him speak to me in a gentle tone. I expected to see himsh out, to listen to him screaming and maybe watch him destroy something, but nothing alike happened.


    For some reason, Bane was the perfect example of calm and collected. It was suspicious.


    When Bane was done with freeing me, he tried to help me get out of the bed and on my feet, but I couldn''t stand upright. My knees kept giving out from under me.


    On an instinct, my body flinched away from him, expecting a reaction, but none came.


    Instead, he scooped me in his arms and carried me to the bathroom. "I should have thought about the damn possibilities. You''re too weak to stand up and walk around, so this mistake is on me." Bane muttered as he kicked the bathroom door open.


    My jaw nearly hit the floor. While his bedroom was gray and boring, the bathroom looked like a room fit for a true King. The dominant white color went perfectly with the bronze details of the interior, making the bathroom look simple, ssy and modern at the same time.


    "I won''t do anything, try to avoid sudden movements. You couldn''t wash yourself even if you tried, so I''ll do it for you. And don''t panic, no one but me can enter the bathroom." Bane whispered as he let me back to my feet and carefully steadied me against the wall.


    I still felt like I was about to copse, so although I absolutely hated his touch, I was a little grateful that he pressed his body against mine so I didn''t fall.


    "Try to raise your hands. Can you?" He asked. I nced up to look at him. The look on his face was one I wouldn''t have thought I would see even in my wildest dreams - one of concern.


    Slowly, ignoring the pain, I raised my hands. Bane quickly grabbed the shirt and carefully pulled it over my head. Only when he tossed the shirt away did I realize I waspletely naked underneath it.


    All of my instincts screamed for me to hide from his gaze, to find something to cover myself up, but I felt too weak to bother. And besides, there were so many bandages all over my body, the majority of my skin was still hidden from his hungry gaze.


    Bane licked his lips and I instantly shivered in disgust.


    "I need to remove them so I can tend to your wounds and get new bandages. It won''t be pleasant, but you can pull through, right?"


    Somewhere between Bane talking and bathing me, I managed to zone outpletely. I didn''t want to be present as his hands touched my body and his voice kept echoing against the bathroom walls.


    In my mind, I was far away from the vile beast and his followers. I was in a fantasy world, led by nothing but kindness, surrounded by the people this beast took away from me.


    Deep down, I couldn''t help but wonder how Bane could sleep at night with all that blood on his hands. How he could act as if the world was his oyster and he was the god''s gift to everyone.


    When he finished, Bane wrapped me in a massive, fluffy towel and carried me back to the bedroom. He set me on the bed, far too carefully for his usual behavior. "Don''t move, I''ll grab another shirt for you and some more bandages. The wounds look way better than the first day," he muttered and disappeared in the closet. Under any other circumstances I would like a person this caring. To hell, I was lying. I would like anyone who was so careful and attentive if it weren''t Bane. This particr man did nothing but raise suspicion within me when he acted so out of character. I didn''t know him for long, but I knew him for who he was - a beast. Bane didn''t have one kind bone in his body. What he was doing was a show.


    But for what? Why the sudden change of attitude? What was he nning this time?


    The questions still ran through my mind when Bane returned. He pulled the towel off my body and I instantly shivered as the cold air met my skin.


    Bane clicked his tongue as his eyes skimmed over my body. "Yep, way better. And before you think about any nonsense - rest assured, I''m not checking you out. Your body looks like you just tried to sleep with a shredder, not the most arousing view in the universe. I''m here to tend to you, not to make sexual advances."


    Although he gave a clear vocal assurement of his intentions, I still didn''t believe him. I wouldn''t put it past Bane to assault someone while they were down.


    Slowly, he applied ointment to my wounds and bandaged them. Then, he helped me sit up and put on the shirt. Then, wordlessy, he helped mey back down, covered me with a nket, grabbed the towel and left.


    For a brief moment, I felt like I could have a moment for myself, without him breathing down my neck. But of course, that had to be another delusion because soon after, he returned to the bedroom.


    My eyes followed him as he approached the windows and closed the heavy curtains. Then, he walked to the bed and stopped right next to it.


    I raised an eyebrow in silent question while all he did was grin. When Bane took off his shirt and unzipped his pants, my eyes widened.


    I knew it! I couldn''t put him past being the animal he was and using any chance he got at taking anything he wanted, even if he had to use force.


    A loud, ugly chuckle let him, drawing my attention back to the beast.


    Bane shook his head, amusement prating his features. "No need to give me that look. Whatever you''re thinking - you''re wrong. This is my bedroom, I''m just letting you stay here, but it doesn''t mean that I won''t sleep in my own bed anymore. Thest couple of days have been shit and I really need a nap."


    I tried to make a sound of protest, but none left me. Bane grinned like a madman as he dropped his pants on the floor and slid under the nket, wearing nothing but his boxers.


    "Truth to be told, you look just as shitty as I feel. I think you need that nap just as much as I do, if not more, so rx, close your eyes, and sleep. I told the maids to bring some of my paperwork to the bedroom, so I can work after I wake up and when you do, they will bring you some food. Stop overthinking every single thing you do and get some rest. You''re not leaving anyway."

 29: Because of the oopsie?

    **Aife


    pov**


    I woke up drenched in sweat. At first, I didn''t understand why I felt like I was burning and why there was weird weight tossed over me.


    That was, until I blinked my eyes plenty of times for me toe to my senses.


    The events from earlier hit me like a massive brick wall. More so when I realized that Bane was still sleeping next to me.


    For a brief moment, I took him in. Not like I had many times before. This time was different. Bane didn''t look like himself while he was asleep.


    The usually grumpy, sulking asshole looked like he was at peace,pletely rxed with no care in the world. Now, while sleeping like this, he almost looked... human.


    "If you will keep staring at me like that, I will get it in my head that you have a thing for me," Bane suddenly grumbled, nearly scaring me out of my skin.


    As if the bedroom wasn''t deathly silent before, now the silence became so heavy, I feared he could hear how wildly my heart started racing.


    And of course, he did. A chuckle left him as Bane rolled to his back and stretched out his body. "No need to get your panties in a twist, reject, it was a joke.¡±


    With that being said, he sat up in the bed, tossed his legs over the edge and got up. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head in the opposite direction just so I wouldn''t look at him. Thankfully, he had enough decency within him to walk to the bathroom without uttering a word.


    I listened to the sound of the shower running and I was pretty sure I even heard him hum a melody.


    Although I hated to admit it, Bane in a good mood was better than anything, so I was willing to put up with a lot of his nonsense.


    When he left the bathroom, I made the mistake of stealing a nce at him.


    He was wearing nothing but the loose towel around his hips. Bane''s skin was still covered in water droplets and his hair was wet. As beastily he was, unfortunately, he was a little handsome too. "Would that really be so bad?" Bane suddenly asked.


    I had no idea what was with him, asking stupid questions at the most unexpected moments and startling me all of the damn time, but he seemed to enjoy doing it.


    Raising an eyebrow, I red at him. He had to be kidding me if he was actually waiting for an answer from me. I couldn''t make a sound, let alone form an actual word.


    "Oh, shoot, I forgot you fucked up your throat and can''t speak now," Bane muttered with nothing but amusementcing his words.


    Yeah, ha, ha, very funny, asshole.


    My eyes followed him as Bane disappeared inside the walk-in closet. After a brief pause, his voice echoed against the walls again, but this time, he managed to catch me off guardpletely. Even if I had my voice, I doubt I could answer a question as ridiculous and delusional as that one.


    "What I meant is, would it really be that bad to have a thing for me? I said that as a joke, but your reaction was, I would say, rather extreme. If you had your voice, I''m sure you would scream at the top of your lungs. Your face said it all, so I''m just wondering, you know."


    Was Bane seriously living on a different? How could he evene up with ideas like that?


    First of all, if I had my voice - hell to the yes, I would scream. If I had enough energy, I would attack that arrogant asshole just to make a point.


    Weren''t all those times I spat at him that I hated him enough proof about how I felt about him?


    No wonder so many people in my old pack kept telling me that life outside our borders was very different from that we knew. There were people like Bane, who killed and destroyed, just to act all sad and hurt about being freaking unlikable. As the thought ran through my mind, Bane emerged from the closet, fully dressed.


    He had a stupid smirk on his lips, but once his eyes focused on me, it faded. Good, I hated that smirk more than anything.


    Bane slowly tilted his head to one side and hummed as if he still needed to think about the answers he surely freaking had.


    "Is it because of the oopsie I had with your pack?" He asked, sounding like a child.


    My jaw had dropped many times because of this man, but not even once had it dropped as low as it did now. I was fairly sure it fell through the floor and could be found somewhere down in the cells by now.


    Oopsie. ughtering an entire pack was what he called an oopsie.


    "Not an oopsie, I suppose?"


    How I wished I had my voice. I could imagine how the venomous worlds would feel on the tip of my tongue as I would spit them out, all aimed straight where it hurt him the most - the damn ego.


    The more he spoke, the better I could imagine the happiness that would surge through me if I got to witness Bane''s demise. Maybe, if that Killian guy was who father told me he was, I could strike a deal with him and make my dream a reality. "You''re thinking of a n to kill me, aren''t you?"


    Having had enough of this one-sided conversation, pointed a finger at my throat, reminding Bane I couldn''t talk.


    "I can get you a piece of paper and a pen," he announced and headed for the door. Just as Bane reached out to grab the handle, he hissed and pulled his hand back as if the metal burned him. He spun around to face me again and pinned me with his gaze, "you can read and write, can you?"


    The question wasn''t even half as bad as how serious was the tone he was using. This moron kept stressing how pathetic of an Alpha I was, while he managed to forget that Alphas attended school just like the rest of pack members. I was a woman, not an illiterate.


    I gave him the ''are you kidding me'' look and huffed. Thankfully, it was enough for him to realize just how stupid he was being and hurry away.


    The bedroom wasn''t half as bad without him in it. Sure, the ce still reeked of him, but for as long as there was no actual presence of the man, I almost enjoyed it here.


    Until he returned with a notebook and a pen in his hand.


    Bane sat on the bed, far too close to me to my liking and handed me the notebook. There was this weird twinkle in his eyes that I couldn''t exin. Why he was so excited was beyond me. "Sooooooo?" He dragged the word.


    I waved my hand over the notebook, as if asking what exactly he wanted to know.


    Bane''s demeanor changed as he shifted into a morefortable position and cleared his throat. "I want to know if it would be that bad to have a thing for me," he muttered and instantly averted his gaze.


    Was he hiding his beast personality in a pocket, right next to audacity?


    While I opened the notebook and grabbed the pen, from the corner of my eye, I could see how excited Bane was bing. That was the moment when I decided to write nothing but the truth.


    ''If I had to choose between even liking you as a person and drinking acid, I would choose acid.''

 30: How did you do it?

    **Aife pov**


    I handed Bane the open notebook with my answer, written ck on white, and watched his reaction as he read it. Since his eyes skimmed the sentence a couple of times, I started wondering if he doubted my ability to read based on his own shorings.


    But then, when he shot up from the bed, growled, and threw the notebook against the wall, I realized he understood my words, just kept re-reading them.


    "Fine, if you want to act like a bitch then be one!" Bane screamed at me in anger and left the room.


    Well, that was what I called a proper, toddler-worthy tantrum.


    It was funny how I kind of wanted to care about his antics because after every anger outburst came consequences, but I couldn''t find it in me to bother at this point.


    Whatever Bane nned as the next ''punishment'' woulde regardless of my ability, orck thereof, of kissing his ass.


    Slowly, I tried to sit up in bed just as a knock sounded from the bedroom door. I froze.


    The person who stood behind the door didn''t open it, which made me think they waited for me to call out that they were allowed to enter the room. But how could I,cking the tool I needed for that?


    So, instead, I just waited until the person would get the hint.


    The person knocked again, but seeing as I wasn''t reacting, finally opened the door.


    A rather annoyed looking maid entered the bedroom, hands full ofundry. "Would telling me that I was allowed to enter the room kill you?" She snapped at me.


    I offered her the most sarcastic ''are you kidding me'' re I could muster and pointed my finger at my neck. She had to be smart enough to understand I couldn''t speak.


    At first, she didn''t understand, but once the realization sunk in, her eyes widened and gibberish apologies spilled out of her like a wild waterfall.


    Even as she entered Bane''s closet, she kept apologizing and once she set theundry where it was supposed to be, she rushed to my side to apologize again. "I am so sorry, I didn''t know you couldn''t speak. It is no excuse, I understand that,


    but I assumed you were just another woman who wanted Alpha''s attention. Those women treat staff members like dirt under their feet, so we give them a hard time in return."


    I reached out to grab her hand and offered her an understanding smile.


    Although I used to believe that first impressions mattered the most, as I got older, I realized that way of thinking waspletely backwards.


    At times, I could meet someone the first time while they were having the worst day of their life, so who was I to judge anyone without properly getting to know them?


    The maid''s eyes scanned the room until they stopped on the notebook. She pulled her hand out of mine and hurried to pick it up.


    She also opened the notebook and chuckled at the words I wrote there. "I guess you and our Alpha don''t see eye to eye, then?" A smile spread across her lips as she handed it back to me.


    Carefully, I ripped out one page and grabbed a pen. There was no way I would leave the answers written in the notebook for Bane to find and read.


    "I have some time to hang around here if you wantpany? You can answer in writing," the maid offered as she sat on the bed right next to me.


    ''Let''s say Alpha and I aren''t friends. And yes, I would love somepany.'' I wrote and handed her the piece of paper.


    As she read my answer, her eyes lit up. "So cool. I don''t get to see many girls around my age here. Okay, to be fair, I don''t see many women at all, but that''s beyond the point. My name is Silvia, and yours?"


    Silvia was like a ball of energy. She kept giggling and shing me the most blinding smiles, which made me feel like I was back home, around family and friends.


    ''Aife.'' I wrote down my name and cringed at how foreign it looked.


    "It''s nice to meet you, Aife. Do you mind if I ask you a more personal question?" Silvia mumbled thest part, as if she was unsure if she had the right to ask.


    Instead of writing, I nodded my head, giving her the green light to ask whatever she was curious about. Sooner orter, I would have to talk about my experiences with someone anyway. If I didn''t, the thoughts, assumptions and fears would drive me insane.


    "How did you do it?" Silvia blurted out.


    All I did was raise an eyebrow at her question. What did she mean?


    "Oh, you probably need a little more context. Okay, what I wanted to know was how did you get so close to our Alpha? I''m not implying that you and him have anything going on, but all this," she said as she gestured to me,ying on the bed. "Well, it''s unusual to say the least. Alpha doesn''t bring women to his bedroom, let alone the bedroom in his private house. In fact, other than staff members and some party guests, no woman has entered this house. Not like you anyway." The more she spoke, the more curious I grew. Silvia had a point, if anything she said was true. I, too, wanted to know why Bane took me here. He could shove his excuses about what happened in Delta''s house - there was no way any of that was the real reason behind his decision.


    ''I have no idea,'' I wrote on the paper, handed it to Silvia and shrugged.


    She frowned at the words and muttered, "but this makes no sense at all. I''ve spent years working for Alpha Bane and, I don''t know, perhaps I''m looking too much into this, but he has changed."


    No matter how much I wanted to know how Silvia thought Bane had changed, I didn''t ask.


    "He''s treating you differently, you know," she suddenly muttered. Her voice was so low, it sounded as if she didn''t want me to hear what she had to say.


    But then, when I heard heavy steps approach the bedroom door, I understood why she spoke so quietly - Silvia didn''t want anyone to overhear us.


    She jumped to her feet and shoved the paper in her pocket before she muttered, "I''lle see you a littleter when Alpha leaves the house, okay?"


    I nodded and mouthed a ''thank you''.


    Siliva just waved me off and chuckled. Just as the door to the bedroom opened, she spoke. "I will bring moreundry a littleter today, let me know if you will need anything, Miss."


    My eyes snapped to the door. Bane stood by it and held it open. "Thank you, Silvia," he said right as she bowed and slipped past him.


    Then, Bane closed the door and locked it. My heart rate instantly picked up. Why did he feel the need to suddenly lock the door?


    "You''re building friendships," he chuckled as he stepped closer.


    Since I didn''t answer even with a gesture, Bane groaned. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a few deep breaths, as if he was fighting off the frustration.


    I prayed to the Goddess he wouldn''t have any ill intentions while he was busy trying to calm himself down. For as long as Bane didn''t try to force himself on me - I would live.


    "Listen," he finally spoke up. "I took a walk to calm down and came to a pretty important conclusion. It''s been a long timeing, probably too long, but it''s about time I im a woman as this pack''s Luna. So, I decided that it''s you. I will im you as the future Luna."

 31: Wise choice.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I heard him. I really did. But was I hearing him? Because I could have sworn that Bane just announced he was nning to im me as his Luna.


    Me... The woman he addressed as a reject. The woman he stole from her home and ridiculed every chance he got.


    If this wasn''t a sign that the vile beast was losing his mind, I didn''t know what it was.


    After a far too long moment of silence, suddenly, hisughter echoed against the walls, which made me even more ufortable than I was earlier.


    If I had my voice, I wouldn''t be able to hold the questions back. Such as - what the hell was wrong with him and when was thest time he got checked by a proper doctor. "The look on your face," Bane forced out in-between the fit ofughter. "It''s priceless. If only you could see yourself now."


    Although I wanted to, I refused to show him any reaction. Even when Bane managed to calm down and started wiping the tears off his cheeks, I didn''t show any emotion. Regardless of how much truth was hidden behind his announcement - he was up to something. Whatever Bane had nned, it had to be bad.


    I didn''t have to know the man for years to learn he wasn''t a good person. If anything, Bane was doing everything in his power to prove just how awful he was.


    When he started walking closer and far too close to the bed, I tried to move away just to increase the distance between us.


    Honestly, I wouldn''t put forcing himself onto women past Bane. He was more than capable of taking whatever he pleased, even if he had to kill for it, so it made sense to think so.


    "But I''m not joking," he spoke again, this time, sounding more determined than earlier.


    Once again, I felt like my eyes widened so much, they were about to pop out of the sockets. I even started wondering if people around here had a magic tree that provided them with unlimited amounts of delusional juice. Admittedly, I was scared out of my skin to even think about what tomorrow might bring, but I also knew that remaining silent and letting him do whatever he pleased would be worse than taking the abuse.


    Consequences really were something I had to fear, but I still thought that suffering those would be a thousand times better than suffering next to Bane''s side.


    So, without overthinking the possibilities, I did the only thing I could in my situation.


    Weakly, but still, I shook my head in a rtively silent protest.


    His pack members could give Bane everything on a silver tter, but I wasn''t one of them. He wasn''t my Alpha, leader, friend, or family. And he definitely wouldn''t be the man with whom I would be forced to spend the rest of my life. Bane could try, but I wouldn''t stop looking for ways to escape him. And next time, I wouldn''t stop at just damaging my body - I would finish the job for good.


    "I don''t remember asking for your opinion, reject," Bane chuckled, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    I nced at him to see the beast still standing next to the bed, looking at his phone with a bored expression on his face.


    Seeing how he was as stubborn as a mule, I decided to give him a piece of my mind in writing. Yet, the moment he noticed the grip I had on the pen, Bane reached out his hand and snatched the notebook from me.


    He quickly opened it and frowned. "I thought you were talking to the maid," he muttered so quietly, I was sure he didn''t want me to hear him.


    "Ah, it''s missing a page. Interesting. Are you having secrets now? I''m not sure how our rtionship could grow and be stronger if you want to hide something from me. We just started building mutual trust and you''re already breaking it. Sad, isn''t it?"


    Bane deliberately mocked me. I knew every word that left him was meant to get to me, so maybe that was why I found it so easy to ignore him.


    While sadly I couldn''t do more to defy him, myck of reaction was enough to get under his skin. It was truly amusing to watch such a vile, despicable man get so frustrated simply because he couldn''t gain full control over one, small person. "What? You don''t feel bad about breaking my trust so early in our rtionship?" He huffed, tossing the notebook on the bed, well out of my reach.


    I nced at Bane and raised an eyebrow. How did he expect me to answer, if he took away what was supposed to be my way ofmunication?


    Watching him sulk gave me an odd sense of satisfaction. If not more, at least I could give him a hard time.


    Bane made a show out of crossing his arms in front of his chest and ring at me. He didn''t look away for about five minutes until the overgrown pest came up with a new idea on how to torment me.


    The corner of his mouth twitched in a suppressed smile as Bane sat on the bed and reached for the notebook before handing it to me.


    "I can always ask Silvia. Seeing how the missing page isn''t anywhere in my view, I think it''s safe to assume she has it. Should I leave to find her or will you tell me on your own? Think carefully because if you choose the first one, Silvia''sing here and you will watch me question her. Remember who I am and keep in mind that I don''t ask questions as everyone else does."


    Bane had to be the most delusional bloody person I had misfortune to meet. How could I forget his way of asking questions? The beast had no idea how to lead a decent conversation, all he knew was how to kill, hurt, manipte, and do everything a decent person wouldn''t.


    My hands shook as I opened the notebook and scribbled down the answer.


    Bane snatched the notebook again and startedughing at me. Clearly, he thought my words were funny while I didn''t find them amusing.


    What I wrote was disgusting and humiliating - a sentence that set me up for nothing but pain and misery. He had won. Again, Bane freaking won.


    Hisughter seemed to be louder with every second passing. Each time it echoed against the walls, I felt like it came back to me and hit me with double force.


    My heart sank as Bane returned the notebook and winked at me. "Wise choice, reject. Not that I ever implied you had a say in this, but I''ll let it slide. This one time only," he sang, got up and walked to the door.


    I watched him unlock it and leave the bedroom. Bane actually started to whistle a melody, which I was sure was another of his ways to torment me.


    As soon as he closed the door behind him, my eyes traveled down to the open notebook.


    There it was, my death sentence, written ck on white, in my handwriting. I kept reading the words until tears clouded my vision.


    **For as long as you promise to stop hurting everyone to get your way, I agree.'' *

 32: My fake Luna.

    **Bane


    pov**


    Bluff. Every word that left my lips back in the bedroom was bluff.


    I didn''t intend to im her as my Luna. I would have to be aplete nutcase to do that.


    Besides, I didn''t need a Luna. I had held back from iming a woman as my own for years, and still, hadn''t even thought of changing it.


    The only reason why I wanted to keep the reject around me was Killian.


    While she was asleep because of the self-inflicted injuries, the asshole had called me more times than he did when he heard about my ns to target his pathetic pack. Whatever it was, there was something about the reject that drove him close to insanity. He was doing a pretty shitty job trying to hide his desperation to find her. Speaking of the devil, as soon as his stupid name crossed my mind, my phone started buzzing in my pocket. I reached for it and grinned, noticing his name on the screen. For a split second, I contemted ignoring the call and letting him grow more desperate, but curiosity got the best of me, so I epted the call. "Hello?"


    As soon as Killian heard my voice, a loud sigh of relief left him. "Bane, I''ve been trying to get a hold of you for hours now. Haven''t you been in the office today?"


    Although the tone of his voice was rather annoyed and clearly, he was about to use me of some bullshit, I decided to y dumb.


    "No, I haven''t. I took a day off today, something came up. Happens. Now, tell me, what''s going on? Why were you looking for me?"


    Killian paused for a moment, probably to pull himself together. I could hear him start pacing the room, which meant he had to be nervous about something.


    "Listen, I won''t use you of anything, okay? Just keep in mind that it is my top priority to ensure our packs are at peace. There is no need for unnecessary arguments and Goddess forbid another war." The corner of my mouth twitched as I struggled to suppress a smile. Hearing the fear in his voice did something to me.


    In an attempt to appear more serious, I cleared my throat. "Killian, stop beating around the bush and tell me what''s going on. I''m sure whatever it is, we can be civil about it."


    I lied. I fucking lied. When it came to that bitch Killian, civil was thest thing I wanted to be.


    If it were up to me, I would have killed that asshole years ago.


    Back when I had a chance, he had the Council to back him. But soon, he wouldn''t have that anymore. Everyone knew Killian''s father didn''t choose him as the direct sessor and the old man was dying.


    The moment they wouldy the old bastard in his grave would be the moment I would act. I never nned to waste more time waiting than necessary.


    And the best part? Killian knew I wouldn''t hesitate to kill him the moment I got a chance.


    "Okay, so," Killian muttered, grabbing my attention. The background noises became louder, which meant that for some reason, he was bing more restless. Now, I was intrigued. "I heard something about you. Perhaps those are just rumors, so I had to call and ask."


    I rolled my eyes at his words. Why a grown man had to be so stupid and ignore my words about being straight-forward was beyond me. His stalling didn''t bring any benefit to either of us.


    "Again, stop beating around the bush and tell me. Just because I haven''t been in the damn office today doesn''t mean I don''t have responsibilities beyond that. Don''t waste my time," I grumbled as I headed to the office.


    Killian didn''t have to know that I was nning to spend hours going over stupid paperwork and ignoring every iing call. In fact, he didn''t have to know shit about me.


    "Yeah, right, sorry,¡± he muttered. I listened to him breathe until Killian finally blurted out the reason why he called. "People are talking about you. They''re saying you brought in a new girl and the description I was given perfectly matches my bride. Just like I said earlier, I won''t use you of anything just because another rumor about you is floating around, but I need to hear this directly from you. Bane, is my bride in your territory?"


    Killian held his breath, waiting for an answer, while I wondered when and how he managed to grow a backbone.


    To outsiders, Killian was a high and mighty leader. Always so calm and collected, very professional. But in my eyes - he was a coward, hiding behind status and connections.


    Also,pared to thest time we spoke over the phone, Killian sounded like a different person. Now, he sounded like a lost puppy, desperately trying to find his way.


    "I appreciate the effort you put into finding out the truth from the direct sources, Killian," I started with some fake ttery. I didn''t appreciate shit. "But, I must let your hopes down. While I have taken in a couple of women who were seeking refuge, neither of them matches the description of your fiance. There isn''t an Alpha woman living here, let alone someone with a name as unique as you mentioned."


    Killian didn''t say a word. It almost felt as if he was waiting for more, like promises to call him if anything changed or possibly offers to join the search.


    A very small and bitter part of myself was dying to tell him the truth. Justy out the facts and ideas about me, taking the bride he so desperately looked for as my Luna.


    I wouldn''t take her, but she didn''t need to know that and until I figured out why Killian needed her, he too wouldn''t hear a single thing from me.


    Honestly, I found this game extremely fun. The more time passed, the worse he started acting. The whole world could smell the desperation radiating off him and Killian still didn''t care. All that mattered for that asshole was to find her. And once again, his behavior made me want to find out why he needed her even more. What was so bloody special about a weak, unworthy Alpha''s daughter to send someone like Killian to his knees?


    "Thank you," he muttered. "I guess I need to get back to looking. If anything changes, if she happens to wander in your territory, please give me a call. Seriously, if anything, even the smallest cluees, give me a call and I''ll be there." With that being said, Killian hung up on me.


    Now, I had more reasons to keep the reject close to me and pay attention to anything she did. And if this mess ended up in another disappointment with ack of exciting details, I still had the chance to sell her off.


    There always was a chance that she was just another mediocre woman and Killian just made her the target of his obsessive nature. If it turned out to be true, worst case scenario, I still stood in a better position than both of them. Entering my office, I walked around the desk, sat down and got to work. In a few hours, I had to go back to the bedroom and check on my fake Luna.

 33: Alpha got these for you.

    **Aife pov**


    Although I wanted to pity myself for a second, I couldn''t actually do it. As unfair as everything felt, I couldn''t forcefully give myself some sympathy.


    It wasn''t about who was right or wrong in this situation, it more or less was about the fact that my life as it was today, was the result of decisions I made. Somewhere between the conflicting emotions, I reached an odd realization. I didn''t have to wait that long until my birthday.


    For someone else, the thought would mean nothing, but for me - it meant the world.


    While I had no idea what day and date it was, that didn''t hold much importance. What was truly important was the fact that soon, I would meet my wolf and her presence would actually give me a chance to escape.


    Just like I had once already, I decided to y Bane''s game. All I needed was to gain a tiny bit of his trust. Enough for him to let me exit this house and if I was lucky, wander the territory unattended.


    As if on cue, the door to the bedroom opened. My head snapped in the direction, and for once, I could let out a breath of relief because it wasn''t Bane who came here.


    Silvia brought in some moreundry and grinned at me. "Alpha told me you are allowed to leave the bedroom if you''re up to it. He mentioned the doctor had said that you need to get some fresh air once in a while, so Alpha ordered me to apany you," she spoke as she walked to the closet.


    Honestly, I really wanted to get out of here, but not for a walk. I wanted to get away.


    For the time being, though, this would have to do.


    Silvia kept talking as I tried to get out of the bed. My body was sore, but I managed to kick off the sheets and toss my legs over the edge of the bed.


    When Silvia exited the closet, she came with a little pile of clothing in her hands. I frowned at thecy fabric thatid on top of the pile, which made herugh at me. "It''s just some underwear, there''s no need to make a face like someone just fed you snails. Come on, I will help you get dressed."


    I nodded and let her help me to my feet. Silva huffed something about my weight when she pulled the shirt off me and helped me step into the panties. She even helped me put on the stupidce bra.


    This type of underwear was for the eyes, not one''sfort. Something was telling me that Bane chose it all.


    My suspicions were proven to be right when Silvia spoke again. "Alpha got these for you. I have no idea how he knows your size, but everything fits nicely. I washed, dried and folded your clothes too, they''re in his closet."


    It probably was an awful thing to feel grateful for, but for once, I enjoyed my inability to voice my thoughts.


    "There," she grinned.


    My eyes traveled down my body as I realized I had managed to zone out while she was helping me get dressed.


    A little embarrassing if anyone asked me, but I had to suck it up.


    At least for the time being while I was too weak to deal with regr mundane tasks on my own.


    Silvia was all smiles and positivity as she took my hand in hers and led me out of the bedroom. I was beyond grateful to her for not trying to run around as every step I took seriously hurt.


    Walking down the halls turned into a whole experience because Silvia pointed at the paintings and told me everything she knew about the history behind them.


    It was a bittersweet moment, really. Back home, we had a hall packed with paintings of our rtives, both living and dead. I used to love walking down that hall as a child. My favorite thing ever was imagining how those people might have been in the past, what they did and enjoyed.


    By the time Silvia and I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was growing increasingly nervous. I had enough Bane for one day, so running into him was thest thing I wanted.


    Some fresh air in the gardens Silvia boasted about sounded like pure heaven right now.


    Thankfully, he was nowhere to be seen, even when we stepped outside the house and Silvia led me towards the gardens in question.


    When I finally got the chance to take in the full view, I couldn''t believe someone as vile as Bane was hiding something so beautiful. The garden wasn''t packed with just flowers, it also had lush fruit trees and what looked like a miniature maze. "Alpha prefers fresh fruit and doesn''t trust that produce in supermarkets could fit his liking, hence he nted the trees. The garden was originally created when he was a little boy and he just kept adding new stuff as the years went by. Believe it or not, but sometimes when he''s overwhelmed, you can find him here. And I don''t mean sitting around - he''s actually gardening." Silvia giggled.


    My eyes widened at her words. It seemed that the more I learned about Bane, the less I actually knew. Who would have thought that a man like him actually tended to the trees and berries bushes?


    Maybe if he weren''t such a colossal asshole, I would find this piece of information rather endearing. But s, just because he was capable of doing one nice thing didn''t undo the awful crimes he hadmitted.


    Silvia took my hand in hers again and led me towards a bench under a beautiful oak tree.


    We sat in silence, her, deep in thoughts, and me, taking in as many details as possible.


    This hidden piece of paradise had to be one of the most beautiful ces I had visited. A part of me never wanted to leave the bench and let go of the calmness this ce set within me.


    Perhaps this is what I needed - a moment to sit down and enjoy nothing... Absolutely nothing.


    "I have no right to tell you anything about the pack. I mean, I''m sure some of the women around the rejects housing told you plenty of things, but there is more than meets the eye. They don''t see what the rest of us do, so as a result, they have little to no knowledge about what actually happens around here." Silvia''s eyes darted everywhere but at me.


    Only now did I realize I didn''t take the notebook with me, so there was no way I could encourage her to speak up. As indifferent as I acted, I wanted to know more about this ce and why that awful man kept killing innocent people just to snatch one girl from the pack he attacked.


    "Even though you can''t answer, I can nearly hear how loudly you are thinking, which means you have questions, right?" Silvia finally looked at me and offered me a sad smile.


    I nodded. Deep down, I had a feeling that I wouldn''t like what she was about to tell me, but despite that, I still wanted to know. Selfish, yeah, but I had to know why he dragged me here. Why did Bane need me?


    "Do you have any idea why the men are leaving and stealing women from other packs?" She asked.


    Of course I didn''t have any idea why. But Silvia - she had the answers. The downside of that was her stalling and beating around the bush.


    I shook my head and even shifted in my seat to get a little closer. As soon as her lips parted and she was about to tell me everything, someone appeared behind us and mmed a hand on our shoulders. "Ladies, there you are. I''ve been looking for you all over the ce."

 34: You’re an interesting one.

    **Aife


    pov**


    This was so unfair, I literally couldn''t stand it anymore. Ever since Bane came into my life, he did everything to make me more miserable with every step he took.


    And now, just as I was a tiny bit closer to finding out a little more about the forsaken pack, he had to appear out of nowhere and cut the conversation short.


    "Oh, Alpha. Sorry, I thought you wanted me to take her for a walk? I had no idea you didn''t want us toe to the gardens." Silvia muttered with a fearful expression on her face.


    I understood why some Alphas wanted to be feared, but wanting your own pack members to fear your very existence seemed like too much for me.


    "I don''t mind, Silvia. I just decided that sitting cramped in the office for the entire day couldn''t be good for my health, so I came outside for some fresh air," Bane chuckled.


    I instantly furrowed my brows at his statement. Didn''t he im something else just a moment ago?


    Seeing how Silvia looked as confused as I felt, she had to think about the same thing.


    Unfortunately, she was the only one of us two who could voice it, and honestly, I doubted that she would, not that I could me her. Bane terrified her.


    The silence between us dragged out so much, I felt ufortable. While Bane had removed his hand from Silvia''s shoulder, he was still gripping mine, so that didn''t help ease the tension either.


    Just about when I was done with the situation, Bane let out a loud, throatyugh. "I''m just messing with you two. I didn''te here for fresh air. Just like I mentioned earlier, I came looking for you two. Since you''re technically working, Silvia, I decided to take our wonderful reject on a walk myself. After all, we should start getting to know each other better, right?"


    As thest words left him, I could feel his eyes on me. Bane''s gaze had a surprisingly disgusting effect on me. I felt like my skin was both burning and crawling at the same time.


    "Oh," Silvia breathed out. I could feel how the tension left her body and slid into mine, adding to the already awful feeling that was nearly freezing me. "In that case," she muttered as she stood up and nced at me. "I will see you around." The silence that followed Silvia as she left was deafening. It made little to no sense, but that was the only word I could think of to describe the situation.


    Of course, when Bane sat right next to me, it became worse.


    His eyes didn''t linger on me for too long, but the brief moment was enough for me to understand he was disappointed with me.


    "You''re an interesting one," Bane announced as he leaned against the backrest of the bench.


    I didn''t dare to breathe, let alone look at him. Based on my experience so far, it didn''t matter what I did, he always found a fault in me and my behavior.


    "As someone whoes from pure Alpha bloodline, the first problem I see is your gender. An Alpha is a man, not some nail-painting girl with pink highlights, or whatever the fuck you call that shit, in the hair." Baneughed at his own joke. Quite frankly, I didn''t find it funny, but he wasn''t here to seek my opinion. The reason why he came here was to remind me that he had the power to make my life a living hell whenever he felt like it.


    And surely, since there wasn''t anything I did that he could reprimand me for, he had to use whatever he could. For as long as it hit hard, it seemed to work for Bane.


    Sometimes, I felt like he could read my mind, like he could dig his ws in me and pull out my biggest insecurities just to use them against me.


    Being reminded that I was nothing but a girl was one of the things I hated the most. Plenty of people before Bane had used me of being unworthy of the title just because I wasn''t a man. Even my father, although a very loving one, had done that more than plenty of times.


    I was so done with listening to everyone''s opinions on my abilities long before I had gotten my wolf.


    Everyone knew that the strength behind an Alpha depended on one''s wolf. I didn''t have mine yet, so neither I or anyone else could know if I would turn out to be a failure or not. "Then, there''s the fact that you''re timid as fuck. An Alpha stands tall and brave against everything while you flinch away from every movement like a little bitch." And again, heughed.


    I wondered how this self-proimed mighty Alpha would react if someone ughtered his entire pack before he met his wolf, and then took him in as an actual ve.


    For Bane, the world was a mess of grays while I tried to see the colors and notice the little things. There was beauty in everything in my eyes... Except for him.


    Bane knew only his wrongs and rights, not the general ones. After all, everyone but him knew thatmitting war crimes was wrong. And his war was in his head. Bane invented one to get whatever he pleased. He wasn''t a trustworthy man who would stand up for others.


    "So, if I take away the fact that you''re a woman and a coward, is there any good quality in you? What makes you believe you would be fit to be an Alpha? Is this another time you will use Killian as your shield and base your worth on his idea of marrying you?" Now, Bane sounded like he was using me of something.


    My eyes widened at the unexpected verbal attack.


    How did his insults evolve into reproaches about apletely unrted issue was beyond me.


    Against my better judgment, I red at him. Bane was constantly going out of his way to make me feel less than I was. He did everything in his power to point out how useless I was in his eyes.


    If the only thing I could do was make him feel even a fraction of the negative things he had forced upon me all this time, I would consider that a victory.


    Clearly, this beast of a man had no one to set him straight. Not that I would ever try - for all I cared, he could rot, burn alive or drown, and I wouldn''t move a muscle to help him.


    "What?" Bane finally realized that my gaze was focused on him.


    Funny how he looked so puzzled while I prayed to the gods to gift me an ability to set him on fire or thow actual daggers at him as I kept ring.


    "You can''t be seriously offended because of my opinion, can you? How big of a snowke you are, for fuck''s sake? Stop acting like the stopped spinning just because I voiced my thoughts. Don''t like them? Well, it sucks to be you then. Suck it up and move on. Let''s go back, you''re supposed to cook me dinner."

 35: Can you behave?

    **Aife pov**


    Following Bane''s demands and trying to stay on his good side was bing progressively more difficult with every demand that man spat at me. Only he would send someone, who barely managed to survive after excessive blood loss, to the kitchen to make him a damn dinner. What was worse was that by the time I was done with cooking the chicken for him, Bane announced he didn''t feel like having chicken anymore. Instead, he demanded a turkey sandwich. But that wasn''t up to his liking, so the asshole deemed me useless and banished me from the kitchen. There was no point in arguing, not that I could voice anything anyway, so I headed upstairs and walked to the room that was assigned to me. Sadly, once I entered the small room, I remembered that Bane had ordered Silvia to take all my things to his bedroom.


    Cold shivers ran all over me, raising goosebumps on my skin, as I spun on my heel and walked down the hall, towards his bedroom.


    I couldn''t get rid of the thoughts about how much I hated that man. Unfortunately, just like the devil, he appeared whenever his name was mentioned or a thought about him ran through my mind. Bane stood leaning against the bedroom door, arms crossed in front of his chest, a shit-eating grin stered on his lips. He clicked his tongue and shook his head the moment he noticed me approaching him. "I was wondering how much time it would take you to remember you''ve been moved. I never imed blondes were stupid, but darling, you''re starting to prove that stereotypes can, in fact, be true." Another throatyugh left him as I brushed past Bane. He could poke at me as much as he wanted, but sooner orter, he should understand that there wouldn''t be an answer.


    The more he spoke to me, the more I started enjoying the inability to speak. At this point, it didn''t matter how many hurtful things he spat at me - I didn''t react. Even when I really wanted to.


    "Where is that damn notebook now? If you can''t speak you sure as fuck will write. I have given you too many passes with this attitude, shit ends now," Bane growled as he followed me inside the bedroom.


    I wanted to roll my eyes at the moron, but held back. For all I knew, the freak could have eyes at the back of his head.


    While I stood aside, Bane grabbed the notebook and threw it at me. If it weren''t for my quick reaction, the notebook would hit me right in the face.


    As it bounced off the wall next to my head and fell to my feet, I looked between the notebook and Bane.


    He had the gall to wink at me before he sat on the bed and gestured towards the notebook, "go on, pick it up and get to writing."


    I did as I was told. Anger surged through me when I noticed the smug smile on his face. Bane enjoyed ordering me around and clearly loved it when I did as he told me.


    ''What should I write?'' I scribbled on the empty page and turned the notebook for Bane to read.


    He instantly rolled his eyes at me, not even trying to see what I wrote. "You''re shitting me here. You can''t seriously expect that I will put any effort and try to read it. Put those damn legs to good use and walk closer," he barked. Probably only the Goddess knew what his issue was. But s, I sucked it up, pretended his disrespect didn''t bother me and walked closer.


    I stopped a few steps away from him and although he clearly didn''t like it, I didn''t get more reaction from him than a frown.


    "I don''t know, some stupid fairytale?" Bane mocked me.


    Since I didn''t y along with his stupid games and just stood there, he rose to his feet and walked closer. My body froze when Bane grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. The moment our eyes met, I couldn''t hold back the tears. Technically, he didn''t do anything, didn''t hurt me. But the bottomless void in his eyes seriously scared me.


    Bane ran around like a stupid child, teasing and tormenting me. He disyed many emotions, especially anger, but his eyes werepletely empty. Maybe the difference between his gaze and behavior was what truly terrified me... "Are you going to behave, reject?" Bane whispered as he leaned a little closer.


    I didn''t notice how he let go of my chin and brought his thumb to my cheek to wipe off the tear that escaped my eye until he repeated himself. "Behave. Can you behave?"


    Without thinking, I quickly nodded, but he didn''t ept that as a proper answer. "Use your words, reject. You have the notebook, write down a promise that you can behave." Forcing down the lump that had formed in my throat, I gripped the pen and wrote ''yes'' in the notebook.


    A victorious smile spread across his lips as Bane took a step back, finally granting me some much-needed distance.


    "Good. I have some shit to deal with in the main building, but Silvia already left so she can''t look after you. Since I feel very generous and kind today, I will let you enjoy some privacy without any guards around. Take this as a token of trust. I give you my trust, you don''t dare to shatter it. Do we have a deal?"


    I barely held back the happiness that bubbled up within me. All I wanted was a bit of his trust to get out of here and Bane was actually granting me that this soon?


    Sure, this wasn''t the best moment for an escape as I was still rtively weak and knew nothing about his territory, but this was an opportunity I couldn''t pass on.


    My gaze returned to the notebook as I quickly wrote down a few words and presented it to Bane. ''I promise to behave. Thank you for putting your trust in me.''


    He nodded at the words and headed for the bedroom door. Just as he reached his hand closer to the doorknob, Bane nced at me over his shoulder and added, "I will take your words with a grain of salt for now. If you prove that you can be trusted, your life will get better."


    With that being said, he left me behind.


    I tossed the notebook on the bed and instantly ran after it. For some reason, I had an insane need to rip out the page with the false promise. I folded the page and gripped it in my first as I walked into Bane''s closet.


    Running away this soon was a foolish idea, but what could be even worse was running in what I was wearing. I wasted some time, but I grabbed some of Bane''s clothes and changed into them.


    The pack would follow scent and all they would get from following me would be their Alpha''s scent, so maybe I would manage to fool them and win some time.


    Once I was sure Bane had left the house, I snuck downstairs and checked the living room. No sounds came from the kitchen, so I didn''t bother to check it and tip-toed to the back door.


    Grabbing the handle, I almost screamed in joy when I realized it wasn''t locked. As quietly as I could, I slipped outside and closed the door behind me.


    I stood on the back patio and let my eyes scan the surroundings. Just like Bane had said, there were no guards in view. What was even better was that the house was located in the forest, so regardless where I went, I didn''t have to cross a field and be out in the open.


    Struggling to suppress the smile that spread across my lips, I took off and ran as fast as my legs agreed to carry me.

 36: I didn’t mean to hurt you.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I ran. I actually managed to run and ignore the pain that shot through my body. Every time my feet collided with the ground, another wave of pain traveled throughout my legs. Instead of focusing on the downside of my doings, I focused on my goal. Although I had no idea how far from the border I was, at least I had a head start.


    Worst case scenario, I could climb a tree or find a cave where I could hide while I regained some energy.


    At one point, I felt like I had been running for hours even though I knew it couldn''t have been longer than ten minutes. I was weak, running out of energy very fast, and in pain. Not the best scenario for someone, who was trying to escape their captor.


    What made the situation worse was that just when my stupid mind started conjuring up ideas that I was getting away from Bane, I heard weird sounds nearby.


    It wasn''t an animal, that much was sure. Whoever followed me didn''t bother to be quiet as the sound of breaking branches neared me.


    I ran for another minute until I admitted to myself that I couldn''t run for any longer. Goddess knew how far I had gotten, but surely it wasn''t far enough to have a fair chance at getting away from here.


    As thest resort, I stopped by a massive pine tree and pressed my back against it in a feeble attempt to hide from whoever was chasing me.


    I had little to no hope it would work, and surely, barely secondster, I realized just how foolish my idea was.


    Bane moved so fast, I didn''t catch every moment until it was toote. He had my arm locked behind my back as his other hand grabbed the back of my neck and squeezed it painfully. He added so much pressure to his hold on my arm, I screamed out in pain.


    "Stupid, pathetic bitch! Did you really think you could escape me? Me?" He spat words through gritted teeth. "Actions have consequences, mutt. Trust my ass!"


    Bane didn''t hold back from adding more hurtful insults and twisting my arm every time I didn''t walk fast enough for his liking. At one point, he twisted my arm so painfully, it felt as if he broke it.


    As the pain shot through my arm, it sent me down to my knees, which earned another wave of insults from the Alpha asshole.


    He surely thought I wasn''t in enough pain because in the fit of rage, Bane kicked my stomach. Tears stung my eyes as I gritted my teeth and tried to endure the pain quietly.


    Seeing that I wasn''t moving, Bane grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder.


    I let silent tears fall as he carried me back to the fancy prison. When he reached the house, the only positive thing was that there still were no guards around it.


    This was humiliating. So much so, I actually preferred to suffer in the presence of the beast rather than be put on disy for everyone to see how I failed my attempt to get out.


    Bane carried me to his bedroom, threw me on the bed and stomped out without uttering a word. I hated how the room reeked of him, how everything in this ce was nothing but another reminder of his existence.


    As carefully as I could, I pulled my knees to my chest and cried out everything. The pain, the desperation, his words and attack, and most importantly - how I failed.


    I had no idea how much time passed, but apparently I cried myself to sleep because the next moment when my eyes opened, Bane was sitting next to me, running his fingers through my hair.


    The look on his face was weird, almost concerned, but far away at the same time. Reading his expressions was hard and nearly impossible when his actions told another story.


    "I''m sorry,¡± Bane muttered, catching mepletely off guard.


    My eyes widened so much, I feared they would pop out of the sockets. He didn''t look at me, didn''t pay attention to my reaction, just kept staring in the distance and running his fingers through my hair.


    "I didn''t mean to hurt you. Sometimes, I can''t control my anger even if I''m putting up the fight of my lifetime. That is why I asked you to behave. When shit like this happens, I have no idea how I will react. But I''m sorry about what I did back there, Aife. It was messed up, I know."


    Okay, I had to be dreaming. Or dead. Yes, I had to be dead.


    "And I''m especially sorry for kicking you and almost breaking your arm. I called the pack doctor here, he checked on you and said the injuries aren''t serious. You''ll be fine by the morning," Bane kept talking.


    Did he have any idea just how much I dreamed about pping him across the face? Or even better - I could throw a good punch at his jaw and hopefully break it in the process.


    When Bane''s hand slid from my hair to my neck, I tried to move away from him and instantly a hiss of pain left me.


    It seemed as if only now he came back to his senses. Bane jumped off the bed, looked at me in panic and ran out of the room.


    At this point, I was sure even he had no idea what the hell was wrong with him.


    Just as I felt like I could breathe, without him in the room, Bane returned with something in his hands. He ced a neatly foldedundry next to me and nodded.


    "This is the softest and biggest towel I could find in the house. I folded new underwear inside so you wouldn''t get embarrassed when you see it. Please, take a shower and once you''re done, I need to talk to you about something important." Bane''s words weren''t the only thing that worried me. His behavior was all sorts of weird, out of character, that much was sure. But, what really triggered my suspicion was the fact that while he spoke, Bane kept looking everywhere but at me. We didn''t know each other, but there were a few things I had noticed about him. One of those things was the fact that he wasn''t one to avoid eye contact.


    Quite the opposite, he took every chance he had to torment me by forcing me to meet his creepily empty gaze.


    "Do you need my help? The doctor cleared you to walk and do whatever you want basically, but if you''re still in pain, I can help. After all, it is my fault that you''re in pain to begin with," Bane broke the silence, still staring in the distance. If it were anyone but him, I would dly ept the help. Bane, however, yeah, I wouldn''t ask that man to pee on me if I were on fire, let alone ask him to help me.


    We were in a simr position once already and that was probably one of the worst moments of my life. Come to think of it, anything connected to Bane could be deemed like the worst moments of my life.


    The man was like a real life parasite - hetched onto someone, sucked out their life force and then kept going on with his life as if nothing happened, still working on his goal to make his victim''s life as miserable as possible. "No, thank you," I managed to whisper.


    My voice didn''t sound like mine. It reminded me of the sounds characters from scary movies made in moments when the exorcists did their job, but nevertheless, at least I had a voice.


    "Okay,¡± Bane muttered and nodded again. Slowly, he spun on his heel and headed for the door. "I wille back in half an hour to check on you. Take your time and don''t hesitate to call out for me if you need any help."

 37: Not nearly as stupid as you look.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I struggled to stumble to the bathroom, but I managed. Only when the water hit my skin did I realize how much I needed the rxation only water could give me.


    The tension slowly left my muscles as I hummed a melody to myself.


    Moments like these, without Bane around, felt like heaven.


    As the thought popped in my mind, a loud gasp left my lips and everything suddenly started making sense.


    The time I had spent with Bane had taught me a couple of things. One of them was that Bane was unpredictable for most, but one thing kept happening over and over again - after a moment of peace he did everything to rain hell down on


    me.


    Suddenly, I was short of breath and my hands started shaking. Even as I tried to tense my muscles to stop, it didn''t help the slightest.


    At one point, I realized I was about to have a panic attack, so I reminded myself how my mom taught me to calm down.


    I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Sucking in a slow, deep breath, I held it for a second and then released it just as slowly. I focused on every positive memory I had until my heart rate slowed down and my hands didn''t shake as violently.


    By the time I was ready to leave the bathroom simply because the walls were slowly closing in on me, I hadn''t managed to use any of the products Bane had lined out for me.


    Instead of thinking about everything negative, I wrapped the big towel around me and limped out of the bathroom. I knew Bane had chosen a new set of underwear for me, but I couldn''t be bothered to wear it now. I really needed to get out of the bathroom first.


    As I entered the bedroom, I froze in my step.


    Bane stood next to the bed, grinning like he had just heard the best news of his lifetime. I didn''t like the look on his face, it screamed trouble.


    "Now that you had the shower and some time to make yourself presentable, we can focus on what is truly important," he announced as the grin grew wider.


    I raised an eyebrow at him, nervously shifting my weight from one leg to another. This wasn''t good.


    "As you might remember, I made it a point to tell you that actions have consequences, didn''t I?"


    That wasn''t a question. It was another of his tricks to rub something in my face.


    Since Bane didn''t add anything, I simply nodded my head and did my best to avoid eye contact with him. For some reason, now he wanted to stare into my eyes. Freaking weirdo. "I''m d you''re not nearly as stupid as you look," Bane chuckled and reached his hand towards the bed.


    My eyes followed the action. He had ced something on top of it and even as Bane''s hand gripped it, I couldn''t understand what he was holding for me to see.


    Frowning, I patiently waited for him to speak again.


    "I''m actually d you decided to act like your old self and ignored the generosity I was showing. Not surprised, really." He muttered, confusing me even more.


    Since when was Bane showing me any generosity? Didn''t he im the same bullshit after he killed my family and friends? How delusional was he?


    "Ah," Bane chuckled. "You didn''t get it, I suppose?"


    Again, instead of wasting words, I just shook my head.


    This time, he didn''t bother to make an issue out of myck of words and justughed. The sound echoed against the walls and returned with twice as force, mocking my sole existence.


    "The underwear. I actually went out of my way to fold it in and you''re not wearing any. Or, is it that you don''t think that someone, giving you clothing, is generous? Would it feel better if I gave you nothing at all?" He arched an eyebrow at me. Tears instantly stung my eyes. I had a feeling I knew where this was going, so I instantly tried to apologize. ¡°I''m sorry,¡± I choked out.


    I didn''t want to walk around naked again. Even one of those blows that I had taken from Bane and his men didn''t hurt as much as just standing there,pletely exposed for everyone to see and grab.


    "A little toote to apologize, don''t you think?" Baneughed again, gripped the object he was holding and stomped towards me.


    I wanted to hide in the bathroom, to m the door and lock myself in, but my feet were rooted, I couldn''t even take one step back.


    Bane had the ability to move so fast, it was impossible to follow everything he did, and he sure did love using it against me.


    I had barely enough time to blink a couple of times when before I felt something around my neck. Bane forced a finger under the thing and tugged on it a little, praising himself in a whisper. "Since you''ve been hell bent on acting like a bitch, I don''t mind treating you as one. A cor and a leash is the first step."


    My jaw dropped. Bane spoke like it was no big deal to treat someone like a dog and make them look like one as well.


    As if he wasn''t already going too far, the next moment he grabbed the towel and ripped it away, throwing it in the corner of the bedroom.


    On an instinct, I tried to hide myself from his gaze while all he did wasugh. I was seriously getting sick from how much this vile man wasughing at my misery.


    "It wouldn''t be a party if my eyes were the only ones to witness the view, now would it?" Bane said as he tugged on the leash and dragged me towards the bedroom door.


    Panic surged through me. What did he mean? What party? Was he nning to repeat the things he had already done?


    "Please," I managed to choke out the plea, growing more desperate with every step down the hall he took. I didn''t want to join Bane''s party, whatever it meant.


    "Don''t act all innocent now, reject. You should''ve thought about the consequences before you decided to run. Before you pulled that stunt, I was in a pretty good mood and actually nned to let you skip the party since you''re still weak. In fact, I even thought about canceling it for good. But then, you decided to show me that you''re not as weak as you pretended to be, so we''ll have a st tonight."


    I expected Bane to pull me in the living room, in the center of another ungodly orgy, but to my suprise, he took me to his office.


    The momentarily sense of relief left me the moment Bane presented me with a muzzle and a pair of handcuffs. First, he locked my arms behind my back and handcuffed me. Then, he put on the muzzle.


    "There, not only do you love acting like one, but now you also look like a proper bitch," he cheered.


    Tears rolled down my cheeks as Bane pulled me out of the office and towards the living room. The closer we got, the louder the music became.


    When he kicked the door open and dragged me along, everyone''s eyes focused on us. "Gentlemen, let''s get this party started."

 38: How much you want for this beauty.

    **Aife pov**


    Following Bane''s words, the crowd cheered. The living room was filled with people, yet I could see only a few of the men Bane had just addressed.


    "I would like to have everyone''s attention for a moment," Bane suddenly shouted over the music.


    Whoever was near the sound system instantly shot it off. Bane grinned like a maniac as everyone gave him their undivided attention.


    "First of all, I want to thank every Alpha who found time for my little event. Second, I would like to introduce you all to my new y bitch." He said and pped his hand on my shoulder, ignoring the wince that left me.


    "You may address her as reject as bitches don''t have names under my roof. Be careful if you try to approach this one - she bites. Andstly, but definitely most importantly, while touching and groping is allowed, going any further is off limits. No one is allowed to use her, got it?"


    The men nodded in agreement, sick smiles across their lips, while the women looked at me with what seemed like pure curiosity.


    Before I could realize what was happening, music red through the speakers and everyone instantly started mingling with one another while Bane dragged me through the crowd.


    It was pretty evident that he enjoyed himself, he enjoyed the punishment he chose and even more, he enjoyed the eyes that focused on me while I tried to cover away from them.


    Bane had done close to what I thought might be his worst. By handcuffing me, he took away my ability to cover myself and everyone around us clearly enjoyed it.


    As we passed more men, I understood what the vile beast meant when he pointed out that his disgusting friends were allowed to touch me.


    Their hands didn''t just linger on my body or grope me. Every man we passed made it a point to p my ass or grab my breasts so painfully, I couldn''t stop the tears from escaping my eyes.


    Bane ignored it all. He happily chatted with men and took their words, directed at me, aspliments.


    I felt sick to my stomach. By the time he finally stopped at the group of men, I was ready to throw up and their lustful gazes, focused on me, didn''t help the slightest.


    I seriously started regretting the moment I agreed to follow the beast. If I wouldn''t have tried to save the family that was doomed to death, maybe I would have died along with them and wouldn''t have to experience all this.


    "Is my bitch to your liking, Alpha William?" Bane''s mocking tone brought me out of my thoughts.


    I didn''t have to be a rocket scientist to recognize which man was the one Bane addressed.


    Alpha William stood a couple of steps away from us, his eyes focused on me, scanning me from head to toes as a devilish smirk spread across his lips.


    "As a matter of fact, she is. Very much so. I wonder how much you want for this beauty," Alpha William stopped himself mid-sentence to sniff the air as the smirk on his lips disappeared. "I suppose it would be some serious money given she''s a first timer and a virgin at that."


    All Bane did wasugh. Deep down, I prayed he would make it a point I wasn''t an item for sale, but he didn''t bother to say anything.


    Instead, he tugged on the leash until I stood right next to him and Bane could toss an arm around my shoulders. His hand slid to my breast. Bane squeezed it painfully as he kept talking to his friends, telling them some stupid stories about histest adventures.


    Until Bane came into my life, I had no idea people as vile as him and his friends existed. I wouldn''t have thought of their existence even in my worst nightmares.


    The Moon Goddess had to be disappointed in her children. What these men did wasn''t an Alpha behavior. They were criminals, not leaders.


    At one point, I managed to zone out and focus on my thoughts. The fearful scenarios that ran through my mind seemed far better than my current reality.


    Another hard p to my ass was what brought me back. I actually jumped and cried out at the impact. My cry was overpowered by an angry growl,ing from Bane.


    He red at someone over his shoulder and screamed, "I said touch, not fucking assault, you moron! You couldn''t afford this one even if you sold your soul to the devil so don''t think that you have the damn right to damage my goods, got it?"


    While Bane focused his attention on whoever had pped me, Alpha William stepped closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "If you ever want a real man in your bed, let me know. Money isn''t a problem, sweetheart. Don''t hand over your virginity and as your first, I might as well give you the world. However, be warned, I like it rough. Very fucking rough, sweetheart," he reached his hand to my breast and pinched my nipple between his fingers so painfully, I cried out again. Bane returned his attention back to Alpha William and growled. "The fuck do you think you are doing?"


    "Just telling her where to find a real man when she needs one," William shrugged andughed at the look on Bane''s face.


    "You realize that I always do everything for a reason, right?" Bane asked.


    Alpha William raised an eyebrow and waved his hand, willing Bane to exin.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see the smirk growing on Bane''s lips. It was the smirk I hated the most, one that screamed danger.


    "This bitch right here might be my ything for the time being, but she isn''t mine to keep."


    Everyone''s attention was back on Bane the moment he made the announcement, even mine. It was clear that those who surrounded us had no idea what Bane was saying, but I was genuinely as confused and curious as the men around us. "Not yours to keep? As in? Your words intrigue me, do tell us more." Alpha William said as he winked at me and crossed his arms in front of his chest to show off his physique.


    Bane squeezed my breast rougher, forcing more tears to roll down my cheeks.


    "Not mine to keep as in she''s engaged. For now, I''m enjoying myself since that is no crime. But soon, I will have to send her away. Untouched."


    Bane added emphasis on thest word by nearly screaming it out.


    Now, more heads turned in our direction and more men flooded closer, eager to hear the newest gossip from the beast himself.


    "I can''t help but wonder why you''re being so secretive. It''s very unlike you, Bane. Also, I absolutely must point out that I don''t know anyone who loves virgins as much as you do. I''m struggling to understand why this one is untouched and must remain as such." Another Alpha joined the conversation.


    "That''s because this one has been promised to someone else and since he''s a fellow Alpha, I couldn''t forgive myself if I did him dirty by taking what he desired the most," Bane answered with no emotions whatsoever. "Bullshit!" Someone called out from the other side of the living room.


    Bane instantly startedughing and nodding his head. "Yeah, that''s bullshit. Sorry not sorry, gentlemen, I don''t give a crap. Firste first served, that''s how our lives operate. But with this one, yeah, no touching allowed. She isn''t promised to any regr Alpha, she''s promised to Killian."


    The crowd broke out in collective gasps and the music was cut off again.


    An older-looking man managed to break through the crowd and stand right in front of us. His eyes darted between me and Bane until his gaze settled on Bane. "Are you telling us this is the bride Killian is turning over the packs to find? Are you fucking mental, Bane? Do you have a bloody death wish? To bring Killian''s bride in front of the crowd and present her naked for our eyes to see while you call her your bitch? You need to stop whatever nonsense you''ve started."

 39: Breaking the ties between our packs.

    **Bane


    pov**


    A loud, throatyugh left me. I couldn''t remember thest time I hadughed nearly as much as I''ve beenughing this entire day.


    First, it was because of the stunts reject kept pulling and now, my friend decided to question my sanity in front of my guests.


    And they were actually staring at me like I had a death wish? Ha.


    "How about you don''t tell me what to do and in turn, I won''t tell you where to shove the fucking advice?" I asked him,ughing even more when he flinched away.


    It was clear the mood had been ruined. I had so many ns for this party, so many exciting things nned, but now, I didn''t feel like doing either of those.


    Even the women that buzzed around us like desperate bees didn''t arouse my interest.


    I had nned to enjoy some of those bodies and make reject watch me, but now, I had a feeling that I wouldn''t be able to get it up anymore. Thest thing I needed was to have her watch me struggling with my damn dick. "Whatever, Bane. I don''t know about the rest of you guys, but I''m out. Whatever happens here, I won''t be present. Nope, I refuse to be a part of this crime. Do as you please," Martin muttered, spun on his heel and walked away. I watched him grab two older women as he went as both of them frowned. Honestly, I didn''t lose much with him leaving, I wasn''t into older women anyway.


    "I think I will stick around. Not everyone will agree, but I sure do enjoy a proper eye candy, even those I can''t touch or have," William chucked and raised his ss as if he was giving a toast.


    Many of the Alphas followed his example and did the same. The few that didn''t were too busy getting the girls they brought and heading for the exit.


    I cleared my throat and looked at the men who had once called themselves my friends. "Just so you know, by leaving the premises you''re breaking the ties between our packs. You are no allies of mine, so in turn, your packs are free ygrounds for me and my men."


    All of the faces paled, eyes widened and jaws dropped. But s, none of them tried to return. They knew better than to backtrack.


    I was a simple man with simple values. They all knew as much. Building alliances with me was difficult, while losing them was easier than counting to ten.


    Turning their back on me just to change their mind a momentter was enough for me to see where their loyalty was. Definitely not with me.


    The rest of us watched how the traitors left. As soon as the door behind them closed, music red through the speakers, reminding the remaining guests the party was still happening.


    One after another, the Alphas disappeared in the crowd of women while William was the only one who still stuck around.


    Honestly, it was a little unnerving to watch his behavior from the side. The nces he threw at the reject weren''t just lustful, they were burning in need and hunger.


    While William probably thought I didn''t notice it, I knew one thing - leaving the reject unattended with him somewhere in the crowd was extremely dangerous.


    He wouldn''t waste a moment to sink his ws in her. It wasn''t me who was obsessed with virgins. While I did enjoy them and prefer my women to have as little experience as possible, William went crazy every time he got his hands on one.


    "Just to make it clear, I don''t see any obstacle in the information you just gave us, Bane. So, be honest with me, is there a chance you would take money for one time?" William didn''t look at me while he was nanty trying to buy the reject''s virginity.


    At first, I thought about ignoring his question. But then, I decided to check just how far he was willing to go with his offer.


    "The starting bid is ten million. Key word ''starting'' since I already have an offer,¡± I announced, releasing my hold on her and instead, holding onto the leash.


    William''s eyes widened and honestly, I had never seen a view that gave me more satisfaction than this.


    I knew he was pretty much broke and couldn''t scrape the ten million even if he sold all of hisnd and people. I guessed five would be the best case scenario, but even that was a generous number for his current situation. William was a gambler and loved the lifestyle of a royal. He also loved buying any woman he set his eyes on, but I hadn''t heard about him spending amounts nearly as outrageous as this one.


    "You must be fucking kidding me. How? Is her clit coated in gold or some shit?" William barked, growing visibly more irritated with every second that passed.


    "It doesn''t matter, my friend. What does is the fact that the offer is there, a very valid one, and unless there''s a bidder who offers more, she has her future home set in stone." I grinned at William and tugged on the leash, about to leave him behind.


    Knowing this man, if I stuck around for longer, he would try to lowball the offer just to get his dick wet.


    Just as I turned my back on him, William tried stopping me by shouting, "five hundred and not a dor more. Take it or leave it, Bane, but knowing you, a businessman like you would make the right decision."


    I nced at him over my shoulder. "You''re right. A businessman like me would indeed make the right decision. That''s why I''m walking away from your offer. You can''t seriously think that I will take your five hundred and lose out on ten million."


    William frowned. "Come on, we''re supposed to be friends," he whined like a child.


    I nodded. "Yes, friends. But to my knowledge, friends don''t try to rob each other of amazing profit, or do they? If any part of you still wants to toss around the word ''friend'' when ites to me, I suggest you shut your mouth and learn your ce, William. I don''t take kindly to those, who try to fuck me over."


    William didn''t waste any time thinking. He raised his hands and took a step back, separating himself from the conversation he had started.


    Now that I had him off my back, I could finally try to distract myself with something more pleasant. As I dragged the reject through the crowd, I paid more attention to who tried to touch her.


    In general, I didn''t care, but now that I started viewing her more as a business transaction than anything, I wasn''t willing to let anyone damage the goods.


    Besides, her body was already pretty much covered in so many bruises, if this game went on for longer, soon I wouldn''t be able to see even a patch of her skin.


    Slowly walking around, I scanned the different faces of the women three or four times. A part of me wanted to try one more time, but the other knew that if none had caught my attention, none would, so I decided to cut the evening short. I encouraged my guests to enjoy themselves and mind-linked a few of my best guards toe here and make sure nothing went wrong.


    Once the first guards arrived, I dragged the reject to the office to remove the cuffs and muzzle. She didn''t speak or look at me, so if she was smart, this was proof that she had learned her lesson.


    If the dumbass tried to run away again, I had far worse punishments for her nned.

 40: More incoming girls.

    **Aife


    pov**


    My days went by in a daze. Between twisting and bending myself for every Bane''s whim and trying toe up with a n of escape, I lost the ability to follow time. I had no idea what date it was and whenever I asked Bane, he looked at me as if I was stupid andughed in my face without giving an answer.


    "What are you up to?" His voice startled me, making me jump and identally drop the te I was washing. "Ain''t you extra jumpy today?" Bane added with a snicker. That evening after the dreadful party, I promised myself I wouldn''t react to his nonsense. Even when all I wanted was to scream and throw objects at him, I kept quiet.


    It was funny to watch how frustrated Bane grew when he couldn''t get a reaction from me. Sometimes, it felt like his main life goal was to annoy me.


    While I was proud of myself for keeping my emotions hidden, some things truly upset me. For example - Silvia wasn''t allowed toe here anymore.


    I didn''t care about the massive workload Bane forced on me, I could manage it all, but I really wanted someone to talk to. Even if she didn''t want to be my friend, at least with her around, I didn''t feel as alone. "Are you going to clean that up or are you waiting on the magic faeries toe and help?" Bane asked, pointing his finger at the broken te in the sink.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I started grabbing the porcin shards, cutting my hands in the process. A loud hiss left my lips, but I focused on ignoring the stinging pain and blood that dripped down my fingers. Knowing Bane, I already prepared myself for another lecture. He would tell me that I was supposed to work off the value of the darn te since I was the one who broke it, even if by ident. "You just can''t hold back from proving to me how dumb you actually are, or can you?" Bane groaned as he grabbed my wrist and pulled my hand to him.


    I clutched the shards in my hand for my dear life as my body started shaking. Whenever he was too close, I literally acted like a cornered animal and whenever his hands were on me, it became worse. "Let go, damn it," he hissed and tried to grab my fingers to open my fist.


    Before he could touch me more than he already was, I opened my hand and let the shardsnd on the floor, covering the beautiful floor tiles in my blood.


    Another dissatisfied noise left him as Bane reached past me to open the tap and shove my bleeding hand under the running water.


    I didn''t point out that this wasn''t a good idea as the water would have an opposite effect to what he probably wanted since Bane didn''t care anyway.


    "Not too deep." Bane mumbled and pulled my hand away from the water to inspect it. "Stay here," hemanded and left the kitchen.


    I stood like an idiot, watching my blood drip in the sink, silently praying to the Goddess I could bleed to death before Bane returned to give me more shit. But of course, just as my luck would have it - he returned far too soon.


    Surprisingly, Bane almost looked like a human being simply because he was carrying the first aid kit.


    My eyes followed him as Bane approached me and stopped right in front of me. He ced the kit on the corner of the sink, opened it and rummaged through the contains for a moment.


    Then, he took a bottle with some weird liquid and poured it over my hand without a warning. It stung so bad tears filled my eyes and I had to grit my teeth to stop any sound from escaping me. Whatever the liquid was, it stung the cuts progressively worse as the time went by. Bane didn''t utter a word while I was busy trying not to pee myself in pain.


    After what seemed like a whole eternity, he finally focused on my hand.


    Wordlessy, Bane rinsed off the liquid, applied some sketchy-looking ointment and bandaged my hand.


    Just feeling how wide my eyes were gave me the impression that I had to look like one of those weird, twisted bugs from nature''s experiments collection.


    "Thank y-" I didn''t get to finish thanking him as Bane quickly forced a rubber glove over my injured hand, catching me off guard.


    "There. Now you can clean the mess you created here without sttering your stupid blood all over my awesome kitchen."


    I could think of plenty of things I wanted to tell him, but decided against it. My attempt to run was far from forgotten and I really didn''t need to add more to that trouble.


    Instead of going off on him, I nodded and returned my attention to the sink. One by one, I carefully removed the porcin shards and tossed them in the trash bin. Once the bigger pieces were out of the way, I grabbed a paper towel to remove the smaller shards.


    "Can''t you just wash it away?" Bane asked, frowning.


    "No," I muttered.


    "Why?" He kept pushing.


    "Because I don''t want the small pieces to clog up something or damage weaker stic pipes. I don''t know the correct answer if I''m being honest, all I know is that you''re not supposed to wash the ss and porcin shards down the drain."


    "You know," Bane crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the sink top. "You''re not as dumb after all. I suppose you enjoy this back and forth game, huh? Acting all stupid one moment to bless me with a moment of wisdom the next?"


    Clearly, he was mocking me. But on top of that, Bane was testing me.


    He had done the same thing plenty of times, tried to y mind games with me to check how far I would let him go until I dropped the mask of indifference.


    "I''m sorry for breaking the te, Alpha," I muttered,pletely ignoring his jab.


    "And I''m sorry you didn''t answer my question. Are you going to answer or should I make you?"


    Cold shivers ran down my spine as Bane''s voice echoed against the kitchen walls. I didn''t want anything to do with him, if I had a choice in any of this.


    Even knowing how much I was risking by ignoring his questions, I still tried to distract him. "Is there anything specific I should cook today?"


    Bane''s face twisted in disgust as he raised his hands and stepped away from me. "Hell, no. Why would you want to torture me like that? There''s no way I''m eating more of that charcoal chicken or dry sandwiches, thank you very much." He was exaggerating. My cooking wasn''t bad, I had spent countless hours back home, helping kitchen staff and learning how to cook as I grew up, so I didn''t suck nearly as much as he imed I did.


    But whatever. If his insane need to offend me every step he took was now directed to one thing I actually knew how to do, then so be it. For as long as it got him off my back, I was fine with anything. "Okay. Do you have more jobs for me today, or may I leave?" I asked, eyeing the kitchen door.


    "As a matter of fact, I do. You''reing to the main building with me today. The pack is preparing for a celebration since we have more iing girls and some important guests to arrive today. Just make yourself presentable and we shouldn''t have any issue."

 41: Are you enjoying yourself, princess?

    **Aife


    pov**


    For a brief moment, I held onto the hope of ''making myself presentable'' without Bane''s presence looming over me like a dark storm cloud. Unfortunately, he insisted he had to stay near to ensure I didn''t look like a scarecrow.


    He imed my fashion sense was that of a rock, whatever that really meant. I didn''tment on his little digs, nor did I remind him that every piece of clothing that was considered as mine was actually picked and bought by him. "I think the yellow heels will fit the look better," Bane announced as I shifted my weight from one leg to another ufortably.


    I had never been a big fan of dresses, and yet, he wanted me to wear a long, blood-red dress. It was pretty, sure, but it didn''t fit me. And the yellow heels? He was out to embarrass me again, not make me look good.


    But s, I did as I was told, took the heels he was holding out for me and wore them.


    Humming, Bane walked around me, looking like he was the one who designed the dress, not just bought it.


    "No. This won''t work. Change into the ck dress and wear the red heels. Let''s go for a more ssic look since you clearly can''t pull off something more unique." He announced and pped his hands as if he had just solved a mystery of the century.


    A little annoyed, once again, I did as I was told. Thankfully, the majority of the bruises from the party had faded and those still left were easily hidden by the dress.


    Before I left the closet, I stole a nce in the mirror. Honestly, I looked great. The dress hugged me in all the right ces and the heels added a little pop to the overall look.


    Maybe I looked miserable for most part, but the look on my face didn''t take away from the beauty of this dress. It turned out that Bane actually knew a thing or two about clothes.


    As I stepped in the bedroom, a bright smile appeared on his lips. "Fucking finally," Baneughed. "I almost thought there was nothing I could choose to make you look somewhat decent, but thankfully, this dress saved the day."


    I ignored hisment and walked to him. Bane quickly inspected my hand and then checked his watch. "Shoot, we''rete. Let''s get going, reject."


    Although I didn''t hate it, every time he addressed me as ''reject'' I wondered if Bane even remembered my name. The only reason why I didn''t mind his approach was that if he said my name out loud, I would probably grow very resentful of it. Bane led me through the house the same as he always did - walking first with me, following him like a true dog.


    As soon as we stepped outside the building, he took my hand in his and dragged me towards the main house.


    Thankfully, he was mindful enough not to grab the hand I cut earlier. And technically, it was his fault that it happened, not that I could point that out.


    I knew that in Bane''s eyes, he did no wrong. He could do no wrong and anyone who tried to im otherwise was a liar.


    The closer we got to the main building, the more worried I grew. It was hard to exin not only what his presence was doing to me, but also the thoughts that kept running through my mind.


    I was disgusted, that much was a fact. Disgusted by Bane, by his behavior and everything he forced me to do. But on top of that, I was as disgusted as I was terrified just by thinking about everything that might happen in the main building. And sadly, before I knew it, we had reached it. Bane hissed something under his breath, most likely a warning to behave or something like that, and then led me inside.


    A man stood at the door and greeted him,pletely ignoring my presence. I suppose it was truly foolish of me to expect that anyone in this damn pack could be decent enough to extend a simple greeting.


    Bane led me to a massive living room and ordered me to sit down. All eyes were on me, even those of the reject women serving the pack members, so I quickly followed themand.


    Thest thing I needed was more drama.


    At the beginning of the event, I almost let my guard down by assuming it was going great. No one bothered me, no one spoke to me or even sat nearby. Honestly, I had a feeling it was one of Bane''s doings. Of course, he had to show he was in control of everything and everyone here.


    But as the evening progressed, things switched up a little when a massive door was opened and rows of beautiful women wearing gorgeous gowns entered the room.


    It took me seconds to realize this was how they really weed women in their pack. None of them had to suffer the same humiliation Bane forced on me.


    They were all smiles and glowing eyes as they entered the room. Many tried to scout out the vile Alpha, but the pack men did their best to keep them away from Bane.


    Now, seeing the contrast between theirs and mine arrival, I had even more questions about the pack system. Why were they treated like royalties while I was nothing but a speck of dirt under Bane''s sole?


    It didn''t make any sense. Even more simply because all of them were lower ranks. I watched them separate into groups and soon after, one man after another approached the women.


    Almost every single one was chosen. Except... Except the one that was standing in the farthest corner of the room, looking like she was trying to hide.


    I quickly scanned the room until my eyes found Bane. As soon as I looked at him, Bane turned his face to stare at me, as if he could feel my eyes on him.


    Slowly, I got up from my seat and walked to him. When I was in arm''s reach, Bane grinned and grabbed me, pulling me incredibly close to his side.


    "What''s up? Are you enjoying yourself, princess?" He asked, catching mepletely off guard.


    Once again, everyone was staring at me, so I quickly reminded myself about the warning I didn''t fully hear and decided to y along. "Very much so, I am. And you? I hope you''re having an amazing time with your friends," I muttered and forced a smile.


    Bane and his menughed as if I just spit out the best joke ever. He actually had the gall to lean closer and kiss the top of my head right in front of everyone. "As you see, indeed, I am enjoying myself. Even more so now that you decided to join me."


    I couldn''t exin why it felt like it did, but Bane sounded freaking genuine. No hidden agendas, no lies, sarcasm or even backhandedpliments.


    "But I suppose you didn''t join us to ask if I''m enjoying myself, or did you?" He suddenly asked.


    I shook my head, already seeking out the exit of this situation. Initially, I hoped he would pull me aside and we could talk about the girl I noticed in private. But now, I had toe up with a lie.


    "No, I didn''t. You know me so well," I fakeughed for the sake of the show and ced my hand on Bane''s chest. "I was hoping you could tell me where the restrooms are. I need to powder my nose."


    And that... Was the stupidest, yet most effective lie I coulde up with on the spot.


    Bane grinned at me again. "Take the main hall, third door on the left. Can you find the ce or do you need me to hold your hand?"


    Iughed again, even though I didn''t find his words funny and turned his offer down as politely as I could. "I can manage. Be right back."


    Bane released me and as soon as I spun on my heel, about to leave, he decided to do the most embarrassing thing ever - he pped my ass like I was his property.


    I hurried away without blinking, too scared tears might escape my eyes if I wasn''t careful enough. I barged into the restroom and ran to the sink to wash my face. When I was done and straightened my body to look in the mirror, I jumped and screamed.

 42: He needs you.

    **Aife pov**


    "What the-" I didn''t get to finish the question when a hand was pped over my mouth and she shushed me.


    "Don''t let them know you''re not alone. Just because he let youe here alone doesn''t mean he actually let you. There''s a man at the door, waiting for you. Whisper."


    My eyes widened and shot to the door. Why did Bane think it was necessary to send someone after me? I told him I needed to use the restroom, not go on an epic battle quest.


    As if reading my thoughts, she groaned. "Everyone here knows you tried to escape. And if anyone didn''t know that, now they do. Alpha Bane sent him after you and announced that you already ran once so it wouldn''t be a surprise if you tried the same thing again. That''s why there''s another guard outside, right under the window."


    Slowly, she pulled her hand away from my mouth and whispered, "do you understand?"


    I nodded, in true moron fashion. Of course, I understood what she was saying, but that fact alone didn''t force away the confusion. How did she know all of that?


    Noticing the puzzled look on my face, she offered me a gentle smile. "My name is Brianna, I was chosen by one of the warriors. He''s the one who was sent to guard the door, and he also happens to be the one who sent me in to warn you not to do anything stupid."


    "But why?" I managed to choke out.


    "Why what? Why warn you? Why guard you? I will need you to give me a little more details if you want decent answers," Brianna shrugged. "Everything?"


    She scanned the restroom and then sniffed it. "All clear," she muttered, more to herself and then, jumped on the sink top and grinned. "Warn you because we heard some bad things happened to you when you first tried to escape. Just because we''re a part of this pack doesn''t mean we condone the Alpha''s behavior andws. Why guard you? I think it''s pretty much only so you couldn''t escape. He needs you for something, we just haven''t figured out what for." "Money," I muttered, tilting my head and ncing at the window. The only gate to my freedom, as risky as it was, was taken away from me for good.


    "Huh? What do you mean? Not to brag or anything, but Alpha Bane has a lot of money. And I mean a lot - a lot."


    Alright, now I had no ideas at all. I had no idea how wealthy Bane was, but judging by the look on Brianna''s face, he was seriously loaded. But if so, why was he so pressed about the money Killian offered?


    "But it makes no sense," I whisper-hissed, a little more frustrated than I should be.


    "What makes no sense? You''re a weird one, you say things without any context and expect people to understand you." Brianna huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.


    Stepping a little closer, I leaned in and whispered, "all this time I thought he was keeping me here because Alpha Killian offered a lot of money for me. I was supposed to get married to him after my twenty-first birthday. An arranged marriage of sorts, but from what I gather, even after he learned my pack was destroyed, he hasn''t given up. He believes I am alive."


    Maybe telling these things to aplete stranger was a mistake, but deep down, I hoped that Brianna wouldn''t betray me. After all, unlike others, she came to warn me, not berate and ridicule me.


    Brianna''s eyes widened and mouth shaped a perfect ''o''. "What?"


    Again, she looked around as if she still feared someone could overhear us. "Now it makes more sense. Alpha Bane and Alpha Killian are like the worst enemies ever. They go at each other''s throat whenever they are in the same room. You''re a pawn, just like we thought. For as long as Alpha Bane has something Killian wants and can''t get - our Alpha is winning their childish war."


    I rolled my eyes and groaned. These childish games weren''t up my alley. I hated that two men had enough power to y with other''s lives just for their stupidpetition.


    "We need to get going or Alpha will get suspicious. We''ve spent enough time here already. You go first, I will follow you soon after. Oh, and I will try to see you again whenever I''ll have a chance," Brianna announced as she jumped off the sink top and started pushing me towards the door.


    She was so quick and eager to get me out of here that I didn''t get a chance to thank her.


    As soon as she shoved me out of the door, I ran into the guard. "A firecracker my woman is, isn''t she?" He chuckled and gestured toward the hall, waiting for me to walk away.


    I nodded at him, muttered a weak, "yes, but I like her," and hurried away.


    My mind felt as if it was stuck in a state of daze until I entered the living room again. Thankfully, there wasn''t an orgy happening anywhere in my sight, but something had changed. Bane wasn''t with his friends anymore. He was sitting on a sofa with a woman on hisp, the same girl that was covering away earlier.


    The moment he felt my eyes on him, Bane gave me the smuggest shit-eating grin that I had ever seen. In response, I rolled my eyes and walked to the bar area to ask for some water.


    Clearly, the asshole thought that I would act my part and pretend to be jealous. Honestly, I couldn''t do that even if I wanted to. I was a shitty liar and everyone knew that, but when I was forced out of myfort zone to fake emotions, my inability to act really shone through.


    "What can I get for you, Miss?" The bartender asked the moment I stopped at the bar.


    "May I get water, please? No ice, just water," I smiled, acting as politely as I could.


    "Sure thing. One water,ing right up," he beamed and winked at me.


    The next moment, he set a ss of water on the bar top and hurried away to offer his service to a few men that had joined my side.


    Just as I took the ss and brought it to my lips, an arm snuck around my waist. "Why aren''t you fucking jealous, princess? A woman was sitting on myp. A woman that isn''t you. Do you really care so little about me to choose a ss of water over your rightful ce? Have you already forgotten that you are to be Luna?" Bane growled.


    "I''m still too weak to get into arguments, can we please not?" I muttered and took a sip of the water, ignoring the curious nces from the bartender and the rest of the men.


    "Just this once," Bane whined and buried his face in the crook of my neck.


    Cold shivers ran down my spine. I hated it. Hated being touched by Bane, hated being near him, and even more - I hated the way he was acting right now, being stuck all over me like some lovesick puppy.


    "If it''s not too much to ask for, may I go back home? I know I''m supposed to be here, but I''m really not feeling well," I lied through my teeth.


    Bane tensed and his hold around me tightened. He pondered my words for a little while until an annoyed groan left him and he finally released me. "Fine. But if you leave, I leave too. No objections."

 43: I need to talk to Alpha Killian.

    **Kayson pov**


    I had never considered Killian as the viin of someone''s story.


    But...


    These days, he was slowly turning into someone I didn''t recognize anymore. He kept losing his cool over the smallest things and even admitted it himself that remaining calm was getting more challenging by day. The biggest problem, in my opinion, was that he refused to speak.


    Ever since I was a child, my mother had always insistedmunication was the key for every rtionship, friendships included. But these days, no matter how hard I tried to get him to open up, he never did.


    "I can hear you thinking from here," Killian grumbled at me without lifting his eyes from the map he had been scanning for thest three hours. "Maybe I have a lot on my mind," I retorted without offering more details.


    Years ago, to hell, a couple of months ago, I wouldn''t feel bothered by Killian''s presence. He was my best friend and my brother-inw, after all.


    However, these days, I felt like I was walking on eggshells around him. Yesterday he threw a chair at me because apparently, I was breathing too loud.


    "Let me guess," Killian started, finally prying his gaze away from the map and ncing at me. "You''re thinking about another anniversary gift for my sister, right? What is it going to be this time? Another overpriced handbag or a trip to Bali?" He was mocking me.


    Killian hated it when I spent money on his sister. Not because he was jealous or worried about my financial situation. His anger came from years of experiencing favoritism.


    My wife was his parent''s favorite, even despite the fact that they didn''t share the same bloodline.


    Rosalie was adopted by Killian''s parents soon after she was born and instantly won over everyone''s hearts.


    Except for Killian''s. He had always been more or less rough around the edges, very closed in and if he could get away with it - he always chose to remain silent.


    While my lovely wife was the heart of the party, her older brother was the sulking asshole who never bothered to hide how much he hated being a part of the said party. And yet, all that aside, I knew how much he loved his sister. Killian had threatened me plenty of times that he would do awful things to me if I ever hurt his sister. Honestly, I didn''t doubt him for a second. If I fucked up, he would deal with me. But the threats also meant he cared for his sister, even while he was doing his best to hide it. "How about this year," Killian spoke again, getting up from his seat and stretching out his muscles. "You give her a pink silk scarf?"


    I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why? I could get her that any day of the year, anniversaries are special asions, man. I need something more special." I argued. Killian rolled his eyes at me. "You''re still just as dumb as a bag of rocks."


    I shot up from my seat, ready to exin my reasoning, but he raised his hand to stop me before even one word could pass my lips.


    "Just listen to me, okay? I''m really not in the mood for another argument, but once you actually hear me out, I think you will see the point I''m trying to make here."


    I pondered his words for a second. Technically, he wasn''t wrong. Or sort of. What harm was there in letting him exin his ideas? Besides, I could take or ignore his advice, so either way, I really didn''t have much to lose here. Slowly, I sat down and nodded at him.


    The corner of Killians mouth twitched. "My sister is obsessed with everything pink. That would be the reason for color. I brought up the silk scarf because of her sensory thing, but not only that. While we all grew up more or less together, you didn''t see many things in our lives, so unless she told you this, you wouldn''t know."


    Killian suddenly stopped talking and spun on his heel. After a brief pause, Killian let out a shaky breath and carried on. "Our grandmother gave Rosalie a silk scarf shortly before she died. My sister was obsessed with the silly thing." He walked towards the office window while I flipped through my memories, but no matter how hard I tried to recall this scarf, I couldn''t remember it.


    "Knowing how my wife is and has been, I find it difficult to believe you. Rosalie has always loved showing off items that she held very valuable, even her rock collection, so why can''t I remember the scarf?" I asked.


    Killian scoffed. "Patience, my friend. I''m getting there."


    Despite the dying need to say something stingy, I bit my tongue. Killian would shut down and withhold the information if I tested his patience. Sometimes it was better to shut up.


    "Where was I? Ah, right. So, shortly before our grandmother died, she gifted my sister the scarf. Come to think of it, it''s not much, right? Well, Rosalie didn''t think so. She worshiped the scarf and was ready to guard it with her life. Sadly, the scarf disappeared shortly after grandmother''s funeral. Rosalie refused to wear it or take it out of her room, and still, one day she realized it was missing."


    "And what then?" I couldn''t help but ask.


    "She cried, andter basically bullied our parents into turning the territory upside down and we still didn''t find it."


    "Listen, I appreciate that you shared this with me, but I must ask one thing - why are you telling me all of this and suggesting I look for a simr thing as the anniversary gift? Won''t it take away from the memories? What if she doesn''t like it?"


    Killianughed at my words. "That''s the thing - she wouldn''t know I told you the story. That is, if you don''t break under pressure and tell her. Rosalie will love it. Imagine getting a gift she will absolutely love and connect it to something so important she lost years ago. Buy her the damn bag if you want, but get the scarf too. You can thank meter."


    As he slowly turned around to face me, I noticed the smug smile across his lips. I really wanted to p it off, but managed to regain myposure.


    "You can take the rest of the day off. I''m not nning to leave the office anyway, it wouldn''t be fair to keep you stuck here with me for the rest of the day. And besides, I would really prefer it if you spent more time with your pregnant wife than you spend next to me. Another week and the people will start rumoring that you got me pregnant too," he chuckled.


    At first, I didn''t get the joke, but a secondter it sunk in and I startedughing. Sometimes Killian still acted more like a child than an Alpha. I really liked that he didn''t lose his yful nature, even if it shone through painfully rarely. "Yeah, I would rather head home anyway," I agreed.


    There was no damn way I would say no to an offer like that. Rosalie had already startedining about me, working too much, and not helping around the house enough.


    Honestly, if it weren''t for Killian''s missing bride, I wouldn''t leave the house until at least six months after our beautiful daughter would be born.


    As I headed for the door, Killian didn''t say a word. He silently sat back down and took a pen, focusing on marking every area he had checked on the map.


    I left the office, strode down the hall and then downstairs. To my surprise, an unknown man stood at the bottom of the stairs. He didn''t notice me approaching as he was focusing on the discussion with the maid.


    She, however, noticed me. "Ah, Beta Kayson, here you are. This gentleman came to see our Alpha. I exined that Alpha Killian is too busy to meet someone who hasn''t set up a prior meeting, but he wouldn''t listen."


    I nodded at the maid and nced at the man. He was older, an Alpha, which made me wonder why he came here. Killian didn''t want more allies or connections, especially with the older generation leaders who still treated their packs like shit for most part.


    "Good day, Beta." He greeted me and offered me his hand. "I know this visit is very sudden and rude, but trust me, I really need to talk to Alpha Killian. It is regarding his missing bride."

 44: Dinner plans and surprises.

    **Aife pov**


    Returning back to the house that evening with Bane was weird. But what was even worse was how he acted ever since.


    It hadn''t been a full week, more like three days and I was already sick of him. Sick to the point of wanting to see the old, vicious Bane.


    The beast I knew was hidden under the mask of politeness, pet names and endearments.


    He was nothing like the man, who had taken everything from me simply to satisfy his sick wishes and feed his ego.


    Speaking of the devil, he had the ability to read my mind and appear whenever any thought concerning him crossed my mind.


    "Any ns for the evening?" Bane asked with a wide smile on his lips as he entered the kitchen, where I, as usual, was washing the dishes.


    At this point, I had gotten used to his random appearances, so I didn''t drop anything I was holding, but that didn''t mean that I feltfortable around him. Far from it.


    "Cleaning, cooking, washing, the usual," I replied without any emotions.


    Sometimes, I found it funny how Bane''s face twisted in disappointment whenever I answered his questions. It was like he expected me to sound happy, cheerful and overall d to be around him, yet never got the reaction he wanted. "How about we go out then? Change up the scenery a little?" He suggested.


    I had no idea if he had fallen and hit his head somewhere, but I was still willing to bet on the possibility. Most likely on something metal and very big.


    This change in him seriously bothered me.


    But s, I decided to y along. Staying on Bane''s good side was way better for me than constantly getting in trouble. I still cringed every time I remembered the leash. "Where to?"


    Bane neared me, just like he had started approaching metely. His steps weren''t as heavy and determined anymore. Each time he stepped closer, he did it with caution, as if he was trying to approach an animal that was a flight risk. "Maybe a meal outside the house? I heard about a great restaurant that was opened in the town recently and got an invitation from them already. People are praising the ce and from what I gather, it''s pretty hard to get a reservation with them." He said, still slowly nearing me.


    I wondered if he had any idea about how I felt about his presence. People said that they had an inner radar for those, who weren''t of the same sexuality, but these days, I hoped they could have a disgust radar, because the one I felt was skyrocketing.


    But of course, if I valued my body and sanity, I had to act as if I was unbothered, so I shrugged my shoulders. "I can cook you a restaurant worthy meal here."


    I probably couldn''t. I mean, I wasn''t bad at cooking, not even the slightest, but Bane had already voiced his opinion and made it out like I was trying to poison him.


    "I know, I know. I just thought that maybe leaving the house could be good for you. You know, going out and interacting with others is kind of important for mental health. Or so I''ve heard." He muttered and finally stopped a couple of steps away from me.


    He probably had no idea how d I was about that. Having Bane in my personal space was thest thing I needed now.


    "Whatever you want, really. I made an offer so it''s up to you to choose," I muttered and set thest dishes aside, still trying my best to keep myself busy just so I wouldn''t have to look at him.


    To my surprise, Bane didn''t speak up. He actually took a moment to think, or at least it looked like he did.


    Honestly, sometimes I really wondered what was going on in his head. Was he really this crazy bipr? Or were those different personalities colliding and crashing all of the time? Did he have like a million of those personalities? What if it was his wolf who was nice and Bane was the same piece of shit of a human being he had been all this time?


    I hated to admit that Bane had taken over my thoughts. No matter what were the ideas that ran through my mind, somehow, I always ended up thinking about Bane and his stupid smirk.


    The man really invited himself in my life and made it his, didn''t he?


    "I think I will take you up on your offer if you agree we will go see the restaurant some other day." He suddenly announced, catching mepletely off guard. Yeah, this definitely had to be a new, sick personality he was showing. I knew if I tried to speak, my voice would give out how shocked he left me, if I managed to speak at all, so I chose to nod in agreement.


    Thankfully, he didn''t step any closer as he pped his stupid hands and grinned. "Great. I think something simple will do, nothing fancy or over the top. If you can make your favorite dish, that would be awesome. I won''t get in your way here, the kitchen is yours," Bane spun on his heel and hurried away.


    Did I just dream this? Maybe that was one of those daydreams people had when they were close to losing their minds?


    Nevertheless, I had a job to do and intended to put my best in it.


    As I grabbed the ingredients I needed, I reminded myself why I was doing this. My reason wasn''t to get on Bane''s best side and appease him in any way. No, I simply didn''t want to be seen with that monster in public. Although I had never truly cared what other people thought of me, with Bane already telling everyone that I was his ''chosen'' Luna, an outing with that moron would do nothing but make his lies seem more believable.


    I would seriously rather die than let anyone think I liked Bane. I disliked him even more than Johnny the booger eater from preschool.


    Just recalling that little twerp once again sent me into a trip of memories.


    I hummed a melody as I cooked and recalled all the times my dad used to scold me for eating all the cheese he had gotten for dinner dishes he sometimes cooked.


    My dad wasn''t a man who enjoyed cooking, not in the slightest, but if I got on his nerves and followed him around for the right amount of time, he eventually caved.


    As a child, I didn''t think much of it. As a teenager, I realized just how annoying I used to be. But as an adult, I cherished those memories more than anything. What my dad viewed as annoying and childish were the fondest of my childhood memories which I held dear to this day.


    Recalling more moments as such, I soon realized that I was nearly done with spaghetti carbonara, so I reached for the tes right when Bane returned.


    He ushered me away from the tes and sent me upstairs to change into something more appropriate, whatever he meant by saying that.


    Even when I entered the stupid bedroom he forced me to share with him and grabbed the inest looking dress, I wondered if he hadn''t tricked me.


    All that cooking and effort might have gone to waste if he decided to break the deal and drag me to that stupid restaurant after all.


    As quickly as I could, I changed and checked myself in the mirror. I looked decent and that was the best Bane would be getting from me.


    I slid on simple slides since I wanted to befortable and left the bedroom.


    Bane was standing at the door, waiting for me. How I didn''t scream when I ran into him was beyond me.


    He grabbed my hand in his and started dragging me towards the stairs. "I have a surprise for you, so once we get downstairs, I''ll need you to close your eyes. You have no reason to trust me, I know, but please try this once. I promise you''ll love it. Oh, and by the way, you look absolutely stunning, as always."

 45: It’s just you and him here.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I hated it... Despised it, in fact, but I did as Bane told me.


    At this point, I had experienced many of his sick and twisted punishments and learned one thing about him - it wasn''t the size of the crime, it was his mood. How he dealt with someone who "wronged" him was up to how Bane felt that moment.


    Although he seemed happy, excited even, I knew how explosive he was and how quickly the mood might change.


    Plus, if I kept up the act, at one point I might be lucky enough to convince him that he could trust me. Then, I would have a chance to get out for good.


    But the next time, I would think carefully about everything I did. My first attempt was stupid, I knew that, but I was desperate, so I made a mistake.


    Now, I wasn''t sure what was worse - the silence that surrounded us or the fact that I surprised myself by wanting to hear his voice.


    It wasn''t that I enjoyed listening to Bane, but whenever he bbed away like an old record, at least I knew he wasn''t up to somethingpletely vile.


    He led me outside and ced his hand over my eyes, ensuring I wouldn''t have a chance to cheat and see what he was nning.


    "Careful, there''s no need to rush," he muttered.


    My heart started hammering in my chest. Did I wear a dress for him to bring me outside, possibly lead me into the woods and leave me surrounded by rogues? Thanks a lot. Not. "Just a little more and you''ll see your surprise," he added, making the situation way worse in my head.


    I really, really disliked this new Bane. Sure, under different circumstances I might think he was charming and thoughtful, but knowing how he really was, this change was downright terrifying. "Ta-daa!" Bane suddenly shouted, pulling his hand away from me.


    Slowly, I opened my eyes and gasped. What I saw was nothing I could imagine even in my wildest dreams.


    Bane had set up a gazebo. I had no idea if it was there before, but I was pretty sure I didn''t see any the couple of times I had left the building.


    It was decorated with fairy lights and somenterns. There was a table set up with tes of food, sses and a bottle of wine on it.


    I nced at Bane, shocked speechless.


    "So? What do you think? Do you like it? I get it''s not nearly as fancy as an actual restaurant but I figured since you don''t want to go out, I could bring the feelings and magic to you." He sounded far too cheerful to my liking and up to this point, I had no idea that was possible.


    What the hell was this man nning?


    "You don''t like it," he suddenly groaned.


    Bane''s face twisted into one of anger and I already knew if I didn''t act fast, his assumptions would bring nothing but trouble.


    I shook my head like a madwoman as I tried to find my voice. "N-no," I managed to stutter before my voice broke.


    He stopped his silent seething and turned his body to face me. "No, what?"


    Bane''s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, almost making him look human.


    "No, I like it. I''m just surprised, that''s all."


    I hated how weak my voice sounded. I hated how freaking terrified I sounded.


    But even more than that, I hated how Bane''s face lit up in pure happiness. He grabbed my hand and dragged me to the table, sat me down and took his seat right across from me.


    If this was his grand n to torture me even more, he seeded. It was bad enough to spend time around him on a daily basis, but he had to go a step further ande up with this stupid dinner idea. "So..." He started and instantly cut himself off.


    All of a sudden, the egoistic man was gone and instead of him sat someone, who looked like a nervous highschooler, trying to speak to someone they liked.


    I knew Bane didn''t like me, all he did was only to drag out my suffering, so this show made no sense.


    "So?" I parroted as I grabbed the fork and imagined how happy it would make me to thrust the fork in his neck and watch him bleed to death.


    That would be one messy death, but it would provide me so much satisfaction, I wouldn''t feel bothered by all that cleaning that woulde after.


    "I was wondering," Bane started and reached for his ss of water.


    I watched him drink like a stupid animal and set the ss aside. Then, he just had to let out the loudest darn burp I had ever heard and wipe his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.


    Was it really so hard for a parent to teach their child some basic behavior stuff? Didn''t he realize he was acting like an absolute caveman?


    "Okay, I was kind of hoping we could take this moment and get to know each other better while having dinner. If you''re okay with the idea, of course. I won''t force you to tell me anything if you don''t want to.¡± Another thing that really had all my senses on edge was how Bane kept looking anywhere but at me.


    Out of the two of us, I was the one who had reasons to be nervous and cautious, not him.


    "I''m fine with whatever. Ask what you want to know," I muttered and twisted some pasta around my fork.


    It was a childish idea, but I figured that I wouldn''t have to indulge in deep conversations for as long as I had my mouth full.


    "Is there anything you enjoy doing? Hobbies or passions?"


    I pondered his questions for a couple of minutes. I didn''t want toy out basic information about myself, especially to someone like Bane. But I also didn''t want to just ignore his stupid questions either. My hobbies, at least most of them, weren''t very girly. Never had been. But someone like Bane wouldn''t understand, so I had to stick to the safest options.


    "I like reading," I muttered as I reached for the full ss of water.


    Bane eyed me and nodded. "Would you like some wine with that?"


    "No," I spat out too soon, making the situation worse by shaking my head.


    "What? Are you scared someone will rat you out because you''re not old enough to drink legally yet?" He chuckled.


    Yep, absolutely delusional that man was. Really.


    First of all, to whom could anyone rat me out at this point? It wasn''t like he had killed anyone who might have cared about my drinking habits, right?


    And second, he had to understand that I wasn''t stupid enough to get wasted while he was around.


    One too many drinks and I would ck out, basically handing him the chance of using my drunken state to his likings.


    Just because I didn''t know him as a person, and I mean the real Bane, didn''t mean I wouldn''t put it past him to use the chance to take something given to him on a damn te.


    "Okay, chill, I was joking. You''re always so tense, so on edge, it doesn''t matter what I do or how hard I try, it''s never fucking enough for you!" Bane''s voice grew louder with every word passing his lips.


    I didn''t dare to add fuel to the fire. If he was about to go off, he would do that without my help anyway.


    Another gasp left me as Bane suddenly shot to his feet and growled. "Whatever, all this effort and work are in vain anyway. It was stupid of me to assume someone like you could appreciate anything nice given to her. Enjoy your fucking food," he spat the words with so much hatred, I didn''t know how to react anymore.


    Bane quickly spun on his heel and stomped back to the house.


    No matter how angry he was at me, the thought of leaving right this moment instantly crossed my mind. He was out of my way and by the time he would calm down enough to return, I could reach the pack borders.


    "Don''t think about leaving, you idiot. I have my men watching you all of the time. Eat your fucking food and get some sleep," he screamed as he entered the house.


    When Bane mmed the door shut, I jumped in my seat. All of a sudden, I wasn''t feeling hungry and even my favorite food didn''t look as appealing anymore. "He''s lying. There''s no one watching you. It''s just you and him here."

 46: A test.

    **Aife pov**


    I jumped from my seat and spun around to face a man, standing near the gazebo.


    While I couldn''t quite see his face, I could easily notice that he was quite tall and buff, possibly one of the men working for Bane.


    "How can you be so sure of it? This is the first time I see you around here and believe it or not, but I''m at the age I know not to trust random strangers. Especially those who appear out of nowhere with a clear intent to get me in trouble." I knew my voice was trembling, but there really wasn''t anything I could do to fix that.


    Besides, no matter what these brutes thought, I had all the rights in the world to feel scared whenever they appeared.


    "Well," he dragged the word as he shoved his hands inside the pockets of his pants. "I didn''te here to force you into believing me, did I?"


    "I don''t know, did you?" I spat back with the same amount of sarcasm he just gave me.


    "No, I didn''t," he chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "On another note, I see why he''s so fond of you. You''re not like other women I have seen swarming around him like bees."


    I furrowed my eyebrows as the mysterious man stepped closer. "What are you talking about? Who''s fond of me?"


    "Alpha Bane."


    How I didn''t burst out inughter was beyond me. Had this man fallen and hit his head somewhere on his way here?


    He couldn''t possibly be iming Bane was fond of me. Were all his darn pack members so blind and delusional to not see how that monster was treating me?


    Bane had kicked me when I was down and abused me plenty of times.


    For the millionth time, he killed my family and pack! He kidnapped me, humiliated me, punished me for everything I did wrong ording to his books and the list went on.


    If anyone thought those were the things someone did because they developed a specific liking for someone, they had to be out of their mind.


    "You don''t believe me," the man spoke, sounding genuinely surprised.


    "No shit, Sherlock," I spat back in a ''duh'' tone.


    While I had no idea where the attitude wasing from, I actually enjoyed it. Most likely because I didn''t have to think about every word that left me for as long as Bane wasn''t around.


    I missed being myself, I missed being sarcastic and sassy at times, and even more, I missed standing up for myself and not letting others get away with shitty behavior.


    "You know, all you''re doing here is keep proving my point."


    I didn''t bother to entertain more of his bullshit. Thest thing I needed was another crazy stranger, iming I couldn''t see the obvious. There was no ''obvious'' to begin with.


    "Whatever," I muttered, rolled my eyes and spun on my heel, happy to get as far away from the delusional monkey as I could.


    But before I could take even one step towards the building, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him.


    "Didn''t you fucking listen to me, brat? I just told you no one is watching you. He lied. This is your chance to get away from here so why won''t you use it?"


    His grip around my wrist became tighter and his voice dropped lower, almost as if he was threatening me.


    "Let go of me," I muttered, keeping my eyes glued on the building.


    "Stop being a difficult baby and get the hell out of here while you still have a chance. I know, for a fact, the things he''s nning for you aren''t nice. If you stay here for another day, Bane will cripple you." Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to calm my raging heart. I wasn''t as stupid as everyone imed I was.


    I knew staying around Bane came with many risks, but until I waspletely sure I had an actual chance to get out without being caught, I didn''t want to jump the gun.


    As I tried to pull my wrist out of his grip, I decided to y the same game he was ying.


    "If you don''t let go of me, I will scream for Bane."


    My words were nothing but an empty threat. I would try to get rid of him alone, but between the two of us, Bane undeniably was the scariest, most feared one.


    "If you want out, you won''t scream for him. And you do want out, I know you, I''ve been watching you."


    Cold shivers ran down my spine as I listened to him speak. How stalker-ish was it to watch someone all the darn time?


    To be honest, that thought bothered me. Not the fact that anyone noticed my not-so-hidden dislike of this ce and attempts to get out, but the fact that this person had been watching every single move I made. He had heard every word that left my lips, seen every facial expression, and every damn tear I shed.


    I really needed to get away from him, even if it meant I had to return in the clutches of the beast himself, it had to be done.


    Just when he was about to speak again, I sucked in a deep breath and screamed at the top of my lungs.


    The man instantly released me and disappeared in the shadows. Weirdly, it was a little funny to watch him run away, especially since Bane didn''t appear outside. I was pretty sure he didn''t even hear me scream, or the more believable scenario - he didn''t care.


    Slowly, I turned off the fairy lights around the gazebo and walked back to the house. As tempting as the idea of running away right this instant was, I knew I couldn''t do it.


    When I finally reached the door and was about to open it, Bane pulled the door open and grinned at me like an idiot.


    I furrowed my brows in a silent question as he stepped aside and gestured for me to enter.


    A little reluctant, I did, but didn''t bother to utter a word until he would speak. Sometimes, it was better to wait on others to speak up, that way, I could hear him out, or perfectly, listen to him dig his own grave with excuses. "You made the right choice," Bane announced, closing and locking the door. "Huh?"


    "I said you made the right choice," he repeated, adding a rather irritated eye roll.


    "What choice?" I asked, still puzzled.


    I had no idea I had to make a choice, especially one Bane was aware of.


    "It was a test," he grinned and approached me to throw his arm around my shoulders. "I wanted to check if I could trust you. Remember thest time you ran? You took off the moment I turned my back on you and I wanted to see if you would do the same thing again if given the chance. But now, at least I see my hard work with treating you better has paid off and you''re finallying around."


    "B-but the man said," I stuttered.


    "Yeah, he was a part of the n. He was there to mess with you and encourage you to try to leave. As I said, it was basically a test to see if I can trust you. Congrattions, princess, you passed."

 47: Big plans.

    pov**


    **Aife Tears stung in my eyes as I tried to focus on my breathing. I didn''t want Bane to see how stupidly miserable he was making me feel.


    The fact that he made up this whole thing just to test me was outrageous. How could someone be so stuck in their delusions to think that a person they were abusing wouldn''t try to escape them?


    "Can I please head upstairs? I''m really tired," I muttered, averting my gaze to my feet.


    If I had any chance at getting away from him even for as little as a couple of minutes, I would be willing to give up on anything just to get the taste of freedom.


    "Yeah, I''ll head to bedter, still have some work to do in the office. I''m not sure if I will get any sleep tonight, if I''m being honest." Bane pulled away from me and stepped aside. "But don''t stay up toote, I have some big ns for tomorrow and you''reing with me."


    Curiosity was killing me. Sometimes, all he had to do was to toss some bits at me and I grabbed them all as if my life depended on it, but not this time.


    Whatever he was nning could wait until tomorrow. Now, I needed some alone time with my thoughts and without him in my personal space.


    "Okay," I agreed and started walking towards the stairs.


    "Wait up! Don''t you want to know what I''m nning?" Bane called after me.


    Without sparing him a nce, I kept walking and replied, "let''s call it a surprise."


    "See, even your attitude is improving. Hard work pays off!"


    I ignored him and focused on getting away. Thankfully, Bane wasn''t in one of his moods, so he dismissed my behavior and went on with whatever he needed to do.


    As soon as I stepped inside the stupid shared bedroom, the realization hit me. He mentioned that there was a possibility that he wouldn''t sleep tonight, which meant I could get away with sleeping in the guest room.


    Driven by the hope of having a bed all to myself without the beast breathing down my neck, I grabbed a set of pajamas and rushed to the nearest empty room.


    There, I took a long, rxing shower, got dressed and headed to bed. The moment I pulled the covers over my body, for the first time in Goddess knew how long, I felt pleasantly exhausted.


    This type of exhaustion was weed, one you''d experience after a long day of hard but needed work, one that came with a sense of aplishment.


    I could feel the smile that spread across my lips as I closed my eyes and gave in.


    ***


    The morning came sooner than expected. If I was beingpletely honest, I was disappointed it came at all.


    Just to make the matter even worse, I wasn''t alone anymore.


    In fact, I was in the same room, but I was sleeping in the arms of the beast himself. Bane had buried his face in the crook of my neck and had what I called a death grip on me.


    I tried to squirm out of his arms, but the hold around me became tighter every time I moved for as much as an inch.


    "Where do you think you are going?" Bane muttered in that stupidly deep, sleepy voice he had every morning.


    "I need to pee," I spat out without thinking.


    That was my go-to lie whenever I woke up and found myself caged in his arms. Go-to simply because it worked like a charm, every darn time.


    Reluctantly, he let me leave the bed, but of course, not without muttering something I couldn''t understand and groaning.


    If anyone were to watch him now, I was pretty sure they would mistake Bane for some doting boyfriend, stuck in the pink sses period, unwilling to spend a moment apart from whoever he ''dated''.


    I bolted inside the bathroom, but left the door ajar. It was another one of his stupid rules, I couldn''t pee in peace because he didn''t trust me.


    "Why did youe here? Is there something wrong with the bed in the bedroom? It took me a while to find which room you decided to hide in," Bane called from the room.


    I pondered his questions for long enough to excuse the time I was taking as not hearing him properly.


    "Will you ever answer my questions?" He called out again.


    "Huh?" I did my best to sound as stupid as possible, pretending I didn''t hear him.


    "You zoned out again, didn''t you?" Bane groaned.


    I listened to him move around the bedroom for a bit and then, spoke up again, "sorry, you know it happens when I wake up. It always takes me a moment toe to my senses." "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Bane grumbled, clearly a little pissed. "So? Why did youe here? Is there anything wrong with the bedroom now?"


    Taking his previous words as a way to get rid of him, I went with his own assumptions. "There''s something wrong with the bed. I triedying down, but for some reason, the mattress is giving me back pain. Since you mentioned that you didn''t know if you could get any sleep at all, I figured you wouldn''t be angry if I tried to get some decent sleep at least once."


    As I lied through my teeth, I realized this was the most we had spoken for weeks. I always did everything to avoid having unnecessary conversations with Bane, but now, I was bypassing my own rules.


    "I''ll get a new bed and mattress delivered today," he announced. "Take a shower, wear somethingfortable ande downstairs for breakfast. We''re leaving in about an hour or so."


    With that being said, Bane left the room and finally, I felt like I could breathe again.


    I finished my business and took a shower in the guest bathroom. The reason why I didn''t use the one in Bane''s bathroom was the beast himself. I knew he left to take his morning shower and there was no way I was going to join him. Ever. Once I felt refreshed and somewhat awake, I dragged myself to the bedroom to get dressed. By the time I entered, Bane had already gone downstairs, so this seemed like a good start for the day.


    Following Bane''s suggestion, I chose the mostfortable clothes he had gotten for me - a simple hoodie and leggings. I put my hair in a messy bun and headed to the kitchen.


    When I entered, Bane was already sitting down, reading his paper and inhaling his food. There was a cup of coffee left for me on the kitchen counter and a bowl of cereal. The only good thing about him was that he noticed small details, such as what I preferred for breakfast.


    As I sat down across from him, Bane spoke up without prying his eyes away from the paper. "I packed some snacks and fruits in the bag already. We can stop at any diner if you will want decent food for once, but I think I have your favorite stuff already."


    I sipped my coffee without noticing the danger that was nearing me. "Where are we going?" I finally asked and took another sip.


    Of all the things in this universe, I could never imagine what Bane had nned. In fact, his words shocked me so much, I spat my coffee all over the table.


    "We are going to visit Killian."

 48: Are you selling me?

    **Bane


    pov**


    The look on her face was nothing short of priceless. I actually enjoyed seeing how her eyes widened and jaw dropped.


    One of the easiest things to do was to anger the reject, but surprising her was a rare urrence, so I always gave into the temptation of enjoying myself for a little while. "Killian," she repeated the name as soon as she came back to her senses. "As in the Alpha Killian, the man I was promised to?"


    The corner of my mouth twitched, but I refused to smile. The less emotions I would show her, the better her reaction. "As in Killian, yes," I replied dryly.


    Her eyes scanned the kitchen. Any other day, I would assume she was looking for a way out, but this time, it was clear she was searching for something else.


    "What are you looking for?" I finally asked, growing a little curious about what she was nning this time.


    "A hidden camera." She spat back, still scanning every shelf in the kitchen.


    I couldn''t hold back anymore. I barked out inughter and nearly fell over at how ridiculous she was acting.


    Who would have known that bringing up one name would have such an amusing effect on her.


    "What''s so funny? How about you tell me where you hid the camera so we can get going?" She huffed.


    Honestly, I was stuck between some serious choices. Since I had been treating her way bettertely, she had found the audacity to run her mouth, so I had to choose if I would let it slide or remind her of some punishment options. At the end of the day, I needed her to feel at home and morefortable, but that didn''t mean herfort had toe at the price of me, taking her disrespect.


    "How about you use that brain to mouth filter nature gave you next time, hmm?" I spoke as I raised from my seat and pinned her with my gaze. "Maybe then, I wouldn''t have thought about the options of your next punishment." "Right, I apologize," she quickly muttered and averted her gaze to her feet.


    I seriously wanted to facepalm myself. Sometimes, her reactions were so sharp and over the top that I didn''t know how my words could affect her.


    Right now, she was shutting down again. I didn''t need her to hide herself and her thoughts, I needed her to befortable while she still knew her goddamn ce.


    "It''s fine, I''ll let it slide this time," I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.


    Waves of anger started coursing through me as I tried to breathe it all out. Thest thing I needed was to go off on her and ruin every n I had ever built.


    "Really?" She gasped, focusing her teary eyes on me.


    At times, I wondered how in the hell could this thing be an Alpha. How was this a result of two Alphas?


    Everyone knew how the top of the food chain was supposed to be. By nature, us, Alphas, were stronger, faster, bigger, more dominant and the list went on. To put it in simply - we were everything she wasn''t.


    If I had no prior knowledge about the reject, I would probably assume she was an Omega or a Delta''s child at best.


    "Really," I parroted her, but unlike her surprised tone, mine was irritated. "Let''s get going then, we have ces to be and people to see. I believe we wasted plenty of time here already," I added as I nced at the watch.


    So much for having a decent breakfast first thing in the morning.


    As we exited the building, she didn''t utter a word. Instead, she just followed me like an obedient puppy, gaze cast down.


    I stood by the car and opened the door for her. Once the reject sat in the car, I thought about helping her buckle up, but decided against it. An action like that would be too much. I needed to feed her delusions, not actually act like I cared. mming her door shut, I mentally cursed the morning and walked around the car to get in the driver''s seat.


    I expected her to ask more questions as we left the driveway or at least look out of the window, but she did neither. The reject was stuck deep in her thoughts as she red at her hands.


    Using the moment, I nced at them. She actually had pretty nice hands, as weird as it sounded.


    Pretty, long fingers and neat nails. I could describe them as the hands of a truedy, even though she was everything but that.


    Since I had never liked driving around inplete silence, I turned on the radio for some background noise.


    After an hour, she finally broke her silence and spoke up. "Are we returning backter in the day or are you nning to spend the night there? May I ask where I fit in any ns?" "What do you mean?" I asked without looking away from the road.


    "I just want to know how this is going to go. There are many possible oues," she whispered.


    "Huh, interesting. So, tell me, what are the oues you think might be a possibility?"


    She sucked in a deep breath and then slowly released it. Her body tensed so much, I could feel it without sparing her a nce.


    "Well, I was thinking that there are a few things that might happen next. You could be taking me there to sell me. Also, there''s a chance you could be going there for a visit as a friend. I asked about spending the night there because I''m really struggling to understand where I fit in there and why you''re taking me to that man."


    "We''re just traveling to visit an old friend of mine, that''s all. Stop overthinking every tiny thing that happens in your life or around you, it''s not healthy." I grumbled.


    She shifted in her seat to look at me. "Are you selling me?" As the question left her, she didn''t even blink, eyes wide as those of an owl.


    A low chuckle left me. "Trust me, if I was nning to sell you today, you would be the first one to hear that from me. Let''s stick to visiting a friend, shall we?"


    Her jaw dropped but she was quick to hide it. "Is it visiting a friend or rubbing something in his eyes? Pardon me if Ie across as rude, but I''m really struggling to imagine you, having actual friends. Any friends of all. Or people who might enjoy yourpany at that."


    I couldn''t help butugh at her bluntness. It was truly funny how fast she forgot every warning I gave her when she got too carried away.


    "The punishment isn''t off the table. Not anymore. You''re pushing my buttons on purpose and that''s one thing I refuse to tolerate. Now, keep your mouth shut and look around or sleep, I don''t care. The only thing I want to hear from you for the remaining time of our drive there is fucking silence."

 49: Kidnapped from my pack.

    **Aife


    pov**


    It was official, I was possessed by a demon. Or better yet, the devil himself was pulling my tongue to ruin my life for good.


    Why, just why I had to say those things to Bane?


    Of all the people, I knew what that man was capable of and I still told him that I basically thought he was unlikable, and unlovable in all the ways possible.


    From the moment he threatened me, or better yet, assured me there would be a punishment for my behavior, I decided to listen to him.


    Not one word left me during the rest of the drive. Every time Bane asked if I was hungry or needed to use the restroom I just shook or nodded my head as a response.


    At one point, I almost dozed off, but the nap I was dreaming about never became a reality as Bane announced we were almost there.


    From then on, I paid more attention to the surroundings as he navigated the vehicle through the forest and into an open field in the middle of it.


    All I could see were houses, one bigger than the other, lined up almost perfectly, and surrounding the biggest of the buildings right in the middle of them.


    Not surprisingly, Bane parked the car in front of the monstrosity of the house.


    I nced at the main door and a tall, dark man instantly caught my eye. He had a blinding smile across his lips and he actually looked like he was bouncing on his heels in happiness. When Bane got out of the car, the man bolted towards him.


    My jaw hit the floor when both of them hugged each other so tightly, their faces became beet red.


    Their happiness was almost contagious until they broke the hug and the man, who I assumed was Killian, pointed at me.


    Bane''s mood soured on the spot as he rolled his eyes and grumbled something I couldn''t hear.


    The man opened the car door and offered his hand to me, what did nothing but annoy Bane even more.


    "Good day, gorgeous. Jason Killian, at your service," he introduced himself as I got out of the car.


    I side-nced at Bane, attempting to silently question him, but he didn''t pay attention to me.


    Unfortunately, I was too busy focusing on the beast to notice how Jason brought my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles, which once again, made Bane look beyond livid.


    "Umm, Aife. Nice to meet you," I muttered as I awkwardly pulled my hand out of his grip and wiped it against my dress the moment his eyes focused on Bane.


    "It''s so cool you found time to visit me, asshole. Let''s go inside, we did some renovation work around here, you won''t believe how cool the house looks now," he walked to Bane, threw his arm around the beast''s shoulders and dragged him inside.


    Not knowing what I was supposed to do, I silently followed them both.


    As soon as we entered the building, I was so taken aback by how beautiful it was inside and out that I became absolutely speechless. Jason told me I could sit down so I did just that. I didn''t pay attention to anything they were discussing and focused on the interior.


    Bane''s house was impressive, but this one was on a brand new level of stunning.


    I had no idea how much time had passed when I realized I was left alone. Well, not quite.


    When I came back to my senses, I jumped in my seat as I noticed a beautiful woman sitting across from me, a gentle smile across her lips.


    "You must be Bane''s chosen Luna, right? My name is Vanessa, I''m Jason''s mate," she introduced herself.


    It was weird how most people who surrounded Bane were standoffish and vile, but the mate of a close friend felt like a safe space.


    Vanessa had this inviting, calm and trustworthy aura surrounding her. She had to have many friends because although I knew nothing about the woman, I already found myself wanting to stick around the vibes she was giving off. "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Aife," I tried to be polite but stick to the tiniest amounts of information.


    I wasn''t dragged here to back up Bane''s lies. If he wanted me to mislead his friends, he would have told me that during the drive.


    "You have no idea how happy you''re making me, Aife. We never thought this day woulde, you''re a miracle worker."


    I furrowed my brows. What? Did I miss something?


    "Bane looks so happy. I have no idea how you managed to tame that beast, but I''m d you did. Jason and I were worried about him. We feared he would keep going like he always did, pushing people away and leading the life of a loner. But all that changed when you came around," Vanessa was holding back the tears as she spoke.


    For some reason, I realized I didn''t have it in me to break the illusion she had created. She looked genuinely happy, I didn''t want to ruin it for her.


    "What I''m trying to say is thank you. We owe you, big time, both of us. Thank you foring around and changing things for him. Truth to be told, Jason and I were scared Bane would die alone, without experiencing love and happiness ever again. He deserves the world and you''re the one who''s giving him it all."


    She tried to smile, but it was clear she was stuck in the past. Although I didn''t want to make her feel bad about telling me too much, I had to ask something. "What do you mean by ever again? Has he ever been in love?" "Yes," Vanessa sighed. "Once. Although Bane is rough around the edges, he knows how to love. And when he does, he loves hard and deep. Can we discuss thatter? It''s too soon to open wounds that aren''t fully healed yet." The only issue I had with Vanessa was that she didn''t stop talking about Bane and what that monster deserved. Clearly, they were close friends and she held him pretty high in her eyes, but I wondered if she knew anything about how he was when they weren''t around.


    When she finally finished one of her rants of praise, I cleared my throat and shed her a fake smile, "yeah, I''m also happy he kidnapped me from my pack."


    I tried my best to sound like I was joking, just to check if Vanessa knew anything about Bane''s pack''s practices of stealing women. Unfortunately, her reaction was all I needed. She knew. She knew everything.


    Vanessa''s eyes widened as she started looking anywhere but at me, clearly ufortable. "I''m sorry, I told him ages ago he should stop doing that nonsense, but it''s not like I''m someone Bane would listen to, right? I managed to change Jason''s perspective on things, so maybe you could do the same with Bane."


    "Huh? What do you mean? Did you have to change anything about your mate?" I was genuinely confused. From what my parents taught me about mates - they were created for each other, a perfect fit. Mates didn''t change for each other because the other always thought they were perfect.


    "Well," Vanessa dragged, shifting in her seat to get a little morefortable. "When we met, Jason was visiting Bane''s pack. I was one of the women taken from other packs and on that day, we were lined up for pack men to choose. Jason came to see the new meat with Bane and the rest is history." She shrugged and offered me a weak smile.


    Although I wanted to scream, I pushed down the anger I felt. Vanessa''s reaction was yet another proof that some women were taken from their packs differently, just like the new ones who arrived recently. None spoke of their packs being ughtered or burned to ash.


    The silence dragged on, but as soon as I gathered enough courage to ask Vanessa what was her experience with Bane''s pack, the beast sat next to me, threw his arm around my shoulders and announced he and Jason had decided to spend more time with us.

 50: A life for a life.

    **Bane


    pov**


    Jason dragged me away, leaving the reject sitting in the living room and promising Vanessa would be there shortly to entertain her.


    One part of me wanted to get away from her before I blew up. She had grown some audacity to be speaking to me like that. But the other part wanted to stay near since I still didn''t trust her for shit. Just because she passed the test didn''t mean I meant what I said.


    "So, how are you doing? You seem happier," Jason chuckled as he dragged me inside his office.


    I knew he had to have something important to discuss with me. The guy had a soundproof office for a reason and it wasn''t every other day when he used it.


    ¡°Drop the crap and ask me the actual questions, we both know you have plenty," I barked at him as I sat down and pped a hand over my eyes. I was so stupidly tired, it was ridiculous.


    "Who is she?" Jason asked as he sat down across from me.


    "One of the pack''s rejects," I muttered without looking at him.


    "Oh, so she''s a reject now? Interesting, I wouldn''t take you for a man who grabs any other reject and brings her to his closest friends so he could introduce them. From what I''ve heard, this one is your chosen Luna. But wait," Jason gasped, faking surprise. "Don''t tell me you two argued during the drive and you changed your mind. Ah, you poor, poor thing."


    "Don''t be ridiculous," I growled at him.


    "Listen, I won''t give you shit for keeping this chick a secret from me. We both know your love life orck thereof isn''t any of my business. What I will give you shit for is how you treat that girl. I don''t know if you have noticed it, but she''s terrified of you."


    I couldn''t hold back the smile andughter. Jason, of all people, had to know how much I liked it when someone feared me, especially as much as the reject did. "Stopughing, I''m being serious," he sneered.


    The funniest thing was that I found his attempts to intimidate me even funnier than his ims about the reject''s fear. We had been friends for years and he had to know how I would react, so what was the point in even bringing this up? "Okay, I will rephrase myself since this conversation isn''t going anywhere. Why is this one terrified of you? I''ve watched your antics for years and while I do understand why you do those things, it doesn''t mean you have my support. But, just like I said, I''ve been watching and up to now, I haven''t seen even one of thosedies fearing you as much as this one does. What did you do, Bane?"


    I didn''t bother to answer. The reject had a pretty big mouth, she would tell everything to Vanessa soon, so what was the point in wasting more words if Jason would find out either way?


    "Will you ever stop shutting down whenever someone asks you a question you don''t want to answer?" Jason groaned, running a hand through his hair.


    "Nope. Anyway, when are we going to eat? I''m starving. And don''t tell me I have to eat some of Vanessa''s vegetarian bullshit, because if that is the case, I''m out. You''re on your own, my friend." I grinned at Jason.


    One thing I liked about this guy was how easy it was to read him. Jason wore his emotions on his sleeve and the vein on his neck that was popping out already proved just how angry he was with me.


    "I see what you are doing here, Bane. Fine, do whatever you want, it''s none of my business. But... Where did you get her?"


    A wide smile spread across my lips as I leaned against the backrest of the chair. "A pack."


    Jason''s eyes grew wide. I was pretty sure he wasn''t surprised because of my answer, his issue was that I held back information and didn''t give in with his demands.


    "So this answer means you don''t want to tell me which pack... Hmm, okay. Who''s the Alpha of the said pack? Can you tell me at least that much?" He kept pushing. This was it, the question I wanted him to ask.


    There were no words I could use to describe the pride that surged through me as I thought back at the things I did, at the look on that fool''s face and the faces of his weak warriors.


    I had to have the smuggest smile across my lips as I thrust my upper body forward, closer to Jason and stared into his eyes. "The one and only Alpha Lucian."


    "You didn''t. No, Bane, you fucking didn''t go back there. I don''t believe you." Jason gasped.


    "Oh, but I did. And there''s more. Don''t tell me you don''t want to hear how far I went, what I did and how much of that pack I left untouched." My grin was so wide, it felt as if it could split my face in half within seconds.


    "Oh, Goddess, save my soul for being friends with this fool," Jason muttered. "Tell me what you did. And stop with the stupid games you''ve been ying here, no beating around the bush and all that bullshit. Just tell me what you did. All of it." Slowly, I stood up and shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing much, really."


    "Don''t give me that shit!" Jason shouted, shot up from his seat and mmed his hands on the office desk. His face turned beet red in anger, but while he might have thought it would look scary, I wanted tough at my friend. "You should ask who she is. You know, the reject. Come on, Jason, ask me who she is."


    "Who is she?" Jason screamed.


    "The daughter. She is her daughter. Or was, whichever you prefer because the old man isn''t alive anymore. I killed him, I killed the entire pack that day I took the reject from them. And best of all, I did it in front of his eyes moments before I blew the whole back up."


    I couldn''t hold back theughter of happiness. Jason looked at me as if I had grown another head while I relished the feeling of being the one who won this time. I fucking won and that bitch of an Alpha was rotting in hell with the entirety of his low-life pack members.


    "You can''t be fucking serious, Bane. I can''t believe you," Jason muttered, sounding rather disappointed.


    Iughed at him again and shook my head. While he didn''t stop muttering some bullshit under his breath, I spun on my heel and walked to the office door.


    The moment I gripped the door handle, I nced at Jason over my shoulder and spoke. "A life for a life, buddy, that''s all it really is. Now that you know, drop the overdramatic victim act and follow me, we should join thedies and see if they''re getting along. I assume neither of us would want to witness an actual cat fight between them, right?"

 51: Too possessive for his own good.

    **Aife


    pov**


    From the moment Bane and Jason arrived, an odd tension filled the room. It wasn''t the tension Bane brought in the room every time he appeared. No, this one was different. This one was between Bane and his friend, not a bit of it was connected to Vanessa or me.


    "So," Vanessa finally broke the silence. "Aife here was telling me she enjoys gardening. How about we go outside in the backyard so I can show off my flower beds and maybe she could give me some advice?" While she spoke, I tried my best to force a smile.


    Vanessa was a liar, and a good one at that. I never mentioned gardening nor the fact how much I actually despised it. Flowers and I didn''t go together. Anything I touched died, but it wasn''t like anyone had to know that.


    In fact, Vanessa went the extra mile and turned her attention to Jason. She twisted her face a little and within seconds, the gruff looking man broke and let out a heavy breath. "Fine."


    She was about to get up from her seat when Bane''s hand grabbed my shoulder to keep me seated.


    "This is very new information for me. Howe she never told me anything about her love for gardening, hmm?"


    I had no idea if I seeded, but I tried to plead with Vanessa with my gaze to keep silent. If she went along with her lie, Bane would surely increase the severity of the punishment I already knew I was sure to receive once we got back to his house.


    Ignoring me, Vanessa focused on Bane. "Come on, I want to bond with your chosen Luna. Don''t I have the right to get a little more time with her? Have you forgotten that I am your friend''s Luna and our paths cross quite a lot?"


    Honestly, her words didn''t convince even me, so I was sure she couldn''t do it.


    "Okay, whatever, fine. If you want us to hate each other, so be it. Don''t count me in when you want another poker evening with Jason then," Vanessa raised her voice and looked at her mate, pointing her finger at him. "Try me, Jason. Just try to do anything with Bane behind my back and you''re sleeping in the dog house. I forbid you from being friends with him. There, he takes my potential friendships, I take a friendship he values. Suck it up, assholes."


    At this point, she was seething, red in the face. Up to now, I had no idea someone could be so darn angry for being told no.


    Bane growled and pulled away from me. "Here, take her to the goddamn garden to poke at those bloody roots and stop screeching like an old washing machine. Geez, Vanessa, have a check at the doctor''s, you''re all over the ce. It''s either PMS or you''re pregnant. Seriously, you''re acting like a lunatic, not Luna."


    Vanessa''s eyes instantly lit up and the scowl from her face disappeared. She ran to my side, grabbed my hand and dragged me away from Bane and Jason.


    Once we got out of the house, I broke out from the state of confusion and dug my heels in the ground, stopping her in the process.


    She looked at me and raised her eyebrow in a silent question.


    "What do you think you are doing? Don''t get me wrong, I think you are nice, wonderful, really, but you''re getting me in trouble here. I''m the one who has to go back with him, not you. Do you have any idea how he gets when he is angry or someone undermines his authority?" I whisper-hissed.


    Vanessa rolled her eyes. "No big deal. Bane will get over his butt-hurt baby temper tantrum. He always does. Now, stop fussing and follow me. I want to tell you something important."


    As much as I didn''t want to admit it, I was growing more curious with each word that left her lips. Vanessa had known Bane for a long time, so maybe she knew something about the possible weaknesses that beast might have and I could use them against him.


    At this point, anything I could use to my advantage would do.


    She didn''t need to drag me around like some doll anymore. Vanessa didn''t speak as she led me to a bench next to the flower bed and sat down.


    Vanessa pointed her finger at something and spoke, "I will randomly point my finger at the flower bed from time to time so if either of them tries to look at us from the house, it will look like we''re discussing the nts. Is that okay?" I nodded my head. If she had to put on an act to tell me something, I was d to y along.


    The moment I sat next to her, she pointed at another nt and nced at the house. "You wanted to know if Bane had ever loved, right?"


    Furrowing my brows, I tried toe up with a reason why she suddenly decided it wasn''t too soon to talk about it after all.


    As if she could hear my thoughts, Vanessa quickly answered the unspoken question. "All it took was to see him next to you. He''s already bing too possessive for his own good. I''ve seen the warning signs before and I don''t want to see Bane break again. It was bad once, if it ever happens again, there''s no saying how far Bane might go."


    I wished I could tell her this all was nothing but a lie. Bane didn''t care about me, and I cared about him even less than he did for me.


    We weren''t "it" for each other. I didn''t enjoy hispany, and quite frankly, even the thought that he existed disgusted me.


    But Vanessa didn''t need to know those details. She was on his side. If she found out I was nning to leave the moment I got a chance, she would alert Bane and he would make sure I had no opportunity to escape his hell. "Okay, I''m listening," I muttered and pointed at a random nt, making myself look like I was answering a question.


    Vanessa nodded her head. It looked silly, knowing what we were discussing, but since I knew she was ying it all up since those two creeps were most likely watching us, I let her do whatever she wanted without questioning her.


    "I already mentioned this and I''m sure you''re a smart girl, but Bane is rough around the edges. Sometimes even I think he''s more of a beast than he is human. Anyone who is getting to know him probably thinks he doesn''t know what it means to be in a healthy rtionship, but that''s far from the truth."


    I let my gaze scan the flower bed, once again acting as if this conversation was about the nts only. "I will need a little more information now. Whatever you''refortable sharing will do."


    "Many years ago, he was in love. Madly, deeply, passionately. Bane gave her his everything, but sometimes, it seemed like his everything wasn''t enough. She wanted more..."


    Vanessa cleared her throat and continued. "Power, money, reputation, you name it. He changed many things about himself for her, but honestly, I saw her as a ticking time bomb, not someone who had his best interest at heart," she cut herself short and nced over my shoulder.


    "And?" I whispered, eager to find out more.


    If she told me more, I could at least try to figure out what made him into the monster he was. If there was one thing I knew for a fact, it was that monsters weren''t born, they were made.


    "Two years into their rtionship, she finally agreed to marry. Bane was over the moon happy. He was nning everything alone, but then one day, she told him the wedding was off."


    To my surprise, I gasped. I wasn''t Bane''s biggest fan, but this seemed a little too much even for him. Especially since the person Vanessa was describing didn''t sound like the absolute asshole he was today. "Why? What happened?"


    "She imed her father forbade her to marry Bane because they weren''t of the same social standing. He tried to talk to him, but he just sent Bane away and said he didn''t want to see him ever again. From what I heard, Bane didn''t give up." She nced in the direction of the house and moved a little closer to me.


    "He tried toe up with a way to get the love of his life back, but then came the messages with threats. She called Bane crying, sent text messages, all about how her father threatened to kill her if she ever spoke to Bane again. Soon after came letters, supposedly written with her blood. And then, she just vanished. The wedding didn''t happen, obviously. It broke Bane beyond imagination, he hasn''t been the same ever since."

 52: Bane knows better.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I had a hard time understanding my own emotions, but I actually felt sorry for Bane. Seriously, I had to have some humanity left in me if I felt sorry for that beast of a man.


    Gulping, I pointed my finger at another nt as I tried to hold back the tears, just imagining how awful it had to be to go through something like that and whispered, "I take it you think the father did it?"


    Vanessa''s eyes turned glossy and she nodded her head. "Bane couldn''t enter the territory anymore. He tried, trust me, he tried plenty of times, but failed. It was nothing but the proof we all needed she was gone. We already knew her father wasn''t a good man, but he was a man of his word. So, yeah, since she just vanished from the face of Earth, that''s the only logical answer. She''s dead."


    "Goddess have mercy," I muttered and quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks.


    Deep down, I was still sure he wasn''t a good person, possibly never truly was, but I wouldn''t wish something like that upon my worst enemy. Even if the enemy was Bane.


    "Keep this a secret. I trust you, Aife. I wouldn''t disclose this if I didn''t, so please, don''t break my trust. I told you this only to warn you that he''s broken. I''m sure he''s struggling and trying his best, but sometimes, even our best isn''t enough. Bane knows that better than anyone."


    And again, I faced the temptation toy out the truth about who Bane truly was. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs until Vanessa could see past the mask he was wearing. But I didn''t...


    Maybe I was too emotional, maybe I felt sorry for Vanessa and the illusion she, along with her mate, had built about how Bane was.


    Either way, I decided it was better to keep my mouth shut and see how things progressed. Besides, if I ran my mouth, I wouldn''t only face way harsher punishment, I would also kill any chance I had to escape his ws.


    After a while, once we both calmed down, we broke the silence that dragged out and started discussing the flowers Vanessa had nted.


    Some of them were exotic, some I didn''t know existed, but a few were ones I knew a thing or two about. I told her about fertilizers my mother used to mix herself and Vanessa actually pulled out her phone to write down some notes. When there were no flowers left to discuss, we started sharing funny stories from our childhood.


    This was the thing I felt about her earlier - around Vanessa, I could be free and stop fearing saying the wrong thing. She was so easy going and non judgemental that it was a pleasure to stay around her.


    Vanessa got a little too carried away telling me a story about how she and her brother had ruined the dinner for the entire pack, and I was almost positive that I could dieughing if she didn''t stop talking.


    I knew she was near the best part of the story when her face lit up, but before she could tell me more, the joyful expression faded from her features and a scowl appeared again.


    Knowing why she sulked, I nced over my shoulder to watch Jason and Bane approach us. I faked a smile and waited until they stopped in front of us.


    "It looks like youdies foundmon grounds and are having fun here," Jason announced, grinning from ear to ear.


    Bane, his usual grumpy self, crossed his arms in front of his chest and added, "yeah, without us."


    More than anything, I didn''t want to ruin this for Vanessa, so I shoved the hatred aside and turned to Bane. "We were talking about some funny stories from our childhoods. Feel free to join us, the more the merrier." Bane''s eyes widened as a look of disbelief crossed his face. Thankfully, he was quick to mask his emotions so no one caught on my unusual behavior.


    "Don''t mind if I do, since you''re done discussing the roots, I''m happy to join," Bane announced with a spark of mischief dancing in his eyes.


    The moment I noticed he was up to something was toote. Bane grabbed my hand, pulled me off my seat, took my ce and then pulled me to sit on hisp.


    My cheeks were burning bright red. I was trying to fake being nice, not in love with the beast. He had to have done this on purpose.


    Seriously, if Bane didn''t announce this was my punishment for whatever he didn''t like I did, I would go mental very soon.


    ncing at Vanessa, I noticed Jason had done the same thing. But, unlike Bane and I, those two were staring at each other, lost in each other''s eyes, whispering something so quietly I couldn''t hear a word. Bane wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me a little. When his lips brushed my earlobe, I barely held back from emptying my stomach.


    "Let''s give them some space and go on the walk? How does that sound?"


    If Bane wasn''t Bane, I might have seen the action as endearing. Those moments were rare, but he knew how toe across as caring and romantic. Too bad he was an absolute piece of shit, right?


    I knew I tensed in his arms, but I couldn''t help it. Every time I had to spend one on one with him froze me to my core.


    Bane brought his hand to my back and rubbed gentle circles, "breathe in, breathe out. You froze up, it can''t be good for you. Remember to breathe and calm down."


    And of course, at the worst moment possible, the love birds broke out of their stupid trance and Vanessa reached out to grab my hand. "Aife, are you okay? Do you need water? Should I prepare a bed for you to lie down? Maybe you need a doctor?"


    My throat dried up and tears instantly filled my eyes. It had been so long since thest time someone felt genuinely worried about me that I couldn''t help but be emotional about it.


    Bane kept rubbing circles on my back as he spoke on my behalf. "Vanessa, please let her go. She needs to breathe and calm down. She hadn''t had the best time in the past, everyone''s fighting their demons and she just happens to have some worse than the other. Right now, she needs some space and peace. Can you give her that much?"


    Vanessa instantly did as Bane told her and broke out of Jason''s hold. "We will return to check on you in a couple of minutes then. You sure you don''t need me to call a doctor for her?"


    Bane shook his head. "No need for the doctor or checking up on us. I think it would be better if we left and headed home. It''s best for her to be surrounded by something familiar. Besides, I really don''t want her to have a massive panic attack and realize she doesn''t know where she is when shees back to her senses."


    Vanessa nced at Jason, clearly pleading with him, but for once, her mate didn''t break. "Not this time, love. Let him deal with it, Bane knows better."


    Maybe I was imagining things, but it sounded as if Bane''s name dripped in venom when Jason spat it out. If I got a chance,ter I would ask Vanessa if she could find out if anything happened between these two.


    "I will give you a call once we get back home, Vanessa. I''ll get her a phone and save your number there first. You''ll get your chance to gossip some more pretty soon, but now, we really need to get going."

 53: I had a feeling…

    **Aife


    pov**


    The drive home was surprisingly quiet. I expected Bane to blow up on me or toss in some insults, but he didn''t do it.


    I was stuck reying Vanessa''s words in my head and he seemed to have plenty to think about too.


    Unlike the drive to his friend, this trip felt like it didn''t take more than a few minutes by the time I realized Bane had parked his car in front of his house and gotten out of the car. Coming to my senses, I realized he was nowhere to be seen. There was a possibility that he had left me in the car because he was angry, and honestly, I hoped that was the case.


    I would much rather have some distance between us than have him in my face.


    Sighing, I removed the safety belt and turned my body to open the door. Except, I couldn''t. Bane didn''t just leave me in the car - he locked me in. Great.


    At first, panic surged through me. There was nothing I hated more than tiny spaces. But, after a while, when I managed to breathe out the fear and initial shock, I convinced myself this was a good thing. While Bane thought I suffered in his car, it was actually ratherfortable so I could have some decent sleep without his hands all over me.


    ***


    I was startled awake by someone, knocking on the window. As my eyes opened, I jumped in my seat and let out a yelp of surprise.


    Next to the car stood a man; I couldn''t tell much about his appearance other than that he had blinding white teeth and a very wide smile across his lips. I could barely see anything as it had gotten dark outside. Slowly, he opened the door for me and offered me his hand. "Beta Zion, just in case I frightened you." He introduced himself.


    I got out of the car and shook his hand. "Aife, but you probably knew already."


    The man offered me a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, maybe."


    From there, he didn''t say much. He just led me to the house and stopped in front of the main entrance.


    I raised an eyebrow at him, wondering why he was so hesitant to enter his Alpha''s house. Had I slept through something and missed a grand show?


    "Emmm," he dragged and spun on his heel to face me. The moment he brought his hand to the back of his neck to scratch it, I knew something was really off. "Listen, I don''t want you to freak out or anything, so I''ll just give you a heads-up. Bane isn''t here, he''s drunk off his ass, passed out in his office in the main house. This one, however, yeah, it doesn''t look great."


    "What do you mean?" I asked.


    Zion''s eyes started darting anywhere but at me as he shifted his weight from one leg to another. "Let''s say Bane isn''t the biggest fan of being reminded of his past. Not all of it, but there are a few details he hasn''t learned how to cope with." Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I remained silent to see if he was willing to tell me more. I knew I had no right to ask for exnations, but maybe someone in this pack truly believed Bane''s lies and bought the idea of me being Luna. "I''m not sure why he decided to leave you in the car, but I think it''s a good sign. Usually, he doesn''t care who falls victim to his anger outbursts, but he actually locked you inside the car so he wouldn''t do something he would regret the next day. Seriously, let''s take it as a good sign, m''kay?" Zion shed me an awkward smile, but I didn''t give in.


    My silence seemed like the worst punishment for the poor guy. He grew more nervous with every second I didn''t speak.


    "No, I can''t tell you anything more, it''s not my ce. All I can tell you is that he isn''t in a good ce, he''s drunk and out of your hair for a few days. Let''s go check out the full extent of the damage and see if it''s safe for you to stay here. I''ll send in a cleaning crew first thing in the morning."


    With that being said, Zion turned his back to me and opened the door.


    Stepping inside the house that had been my cage for a while now felt surreal. Everything was destroyed. The furniture was either turned upside down or broken, the walls were covered in w marks, I was pretty sure I saw blood sttered on the walls, and the list went on.


    It wasn''t a house anymore, it was a full-on crime scene.


    As we walked further inside, the scene kept getting worse. We found broken tes and everything made of ss, all over the ce. Living room looked like Bane had used it to practice his throwing skills.


    I was as appalled as I was shocked to witness it all. Zion led me upstairs and checked the rooms. I wasn''t exaggerating when I said they were all destroyed, worse than the bottom floor.


    All of them... All except for the room I had slept in. Bane turned his bedroom upside down, even the closet, but he didn''t touch the side he had assigned to my clothes and the room I used when I tried to escape him for the night. "That''s odd. The whole house is in shambles except that part of the closet and one room," Zion muttered, voicing my thoughts. "I wonder why."


    I cleared my throat to gain his attention. "From what I saw, he didn''t touch my side of the closet and the room I slept in the other night, if that makes any sense.¡±


    "I had a feeling-" Zion muttered, but unfortunately, I heard only the first part, not the most important one.


    "Had a feeling about what?"


    Zion waved me off as if it was no big deal and turned around to walk towards the staircase. "Nothing. Let''s check the kitchen, I''m sure you''re starving so we need to see what we are working with."


    As much as I was dying to pry some more and get the answers, I didn''t. Zion seemed like a nice person and the less I got on his nerves, the bigger the possibility that he might like me.


    I really needed an ally here, another enemy would do nothing but make my life more miserable.


    When we got to the kitchen, not surprisingly, it was just as bad as the house. There were some fruits in the refrigerator and other than a massive dent on its door, it wasn''t damaged.


    "Yeah, I''ll have to bring you some food from the main building it seems. I think we have somesagna leftovers from dinner, would that be okay?" Zion asked, already walking out of the kitchen.


    "No need," I called after him. "It''ste and I''m not hungry. I have fruit if I crave a snack, so I''ll survive until tomorrow morning." I left the kitchen and walked Zion to the door.


    "Okay, if you say so," he shrugged and let his eyes scan the destruction again. "Anyway, I''ll be back here with the crew bright and early. Get some sleep."


    He opened the door just as I shed him a smile and muttered, "I will."


    Zion hesitated for a moment, as if he was trying to talk himself out of something and then looked at me over his shoulder. "Give him time, m''kay? Not as bad as you think he is. I know he''s an asshole, but it''s more a show than reality. Remember that not everything that glitters is gold, but the same thing goes about dirt. Not everything that is covered in dirt is worthless."

 54: I didn’t break anything.

    **Aife pov**


    When Zion left, I decided to take matters in my own hands. I had already gotten enough sleep in the car and when I found thest clock that was working, I realized it was way toote to sleep anyway.


    First, I changed into different clothes, ones I was given at the rejects housing, as I didn''t want to ruin anything Bane had chosen and bought for me. Only the Goddess knew how he would react if I ruined anything of his choosing. Then, I checked every cab in all bathrooms and kitchen to find some cleaning supplies.


    First thing on my list was to clean the walls. Once I got rid of all of the blood, I checked if there was anything I could save. The furniture was a big no, so I gathered the pieces I could carry and dumped it all in a massive pile in the middle of the living room.


    I knew there was no way I could deal with downstairs and upstairs alone, so I focused on the main floor.


    Grabbing some trash bags, I started picking up the broken ss, cutting myself in the process more times than I was willing to admit.


    Hours passed without me noticing it as I swept, vacuumed, dusted and cleaned. At one point, I realized how disheveled I had to look, but there wasn''t even a tiny part in me that cared.


    That is, until the front door opened and I remembered Zion had promised to return with a cleaning crew.


    I hurried to clean the blood off my hands, but the moment a loud growl echoed against the walls and shook the windows, I dropped the rag to look up. Bane.


    He stood near the door, his face burning red, an expression of rage written all across his face.


    Slowly, I started backing away and raised my hands in surrender. "I didn''t do anything wrong," the words just spilled out of me.


    As I kept backing away and bbering like an idiot, I didn''t notice how Bane had stepped closer to me and the anger faded from his expression.


    I had to have lost too much blood, because I could have sworn he looked concerned. That is, until I added more information.


    "Zion said he woulde with a cleaning crew, I wasn''t tired so I decided to start early. I didn''t break anything, I promise. I even changed into old clothes so you wouldn''t be mad if I got dirty in the process. I swear, I didn''t break anything." Bane''s face twisted in disgust as he froze on the spot. I noticed how he pulled his hands into tight firsts, the vein on his neck looked like it was about to pop, his jaw tensed and his breathing became heavy.


    "So now you two are on a first name basis, huh?" He spat at me.


    What the... duck?


    I hadn''t realized he could react this angrily to me, saying someone''s name. Thousands of thoughts shed through my mind, but none of them offered the right words to get me out of this mess.


    As much as I wanted to be strong and stand up to him, I knew it would bring me more harm than good. I was trying to get on his good side, but somehow, I always managed to ruin my own efforts in the process.


    If I kept acting up and making mistakes, he would never trust me enough to grant me the window of a chance to escape.


    I dropped my hands to my hips and averted my gaze to my feet, doing my best to appear ashamed. "I''m sorry, it was very disrespectful of me to address Beta by his first name. I didn''t realize I did until it was toote. I apologize for the disrespect I''ve shown, it was very wrong of me."


    My voice was a barely audible whisper, yet loud enough for Bane to hear me.


    At first, he didn''t react, even a little. But then, instead of another blow that I was expecting, he let out an annoyed sound and stormed off to his office.


    Unsure of what I was supposed to do, I remained frozen. For as long as I didn''t overstep his untold boundaries I should be safe.


    Bane returned after a few minutes, holding two bottles of brown liquid in his hands. From the corner of my eye, I could see him watch me for a brief moment until another annoyed sound left him.


    "Carry on with whatever you were doing here, don''t let me hold you back from your mission."


    With that being said, Bane stormed out of the house. On his way out, he mmed the door so aggressively, it felt like the entire building shook from the force he was using.


    My knees gave out from under me. I didn''t fight it, I just copsed on the floor and focused on the sound of my breathing to ground myself.


    I wanted to cry. All I wanted was to let the tears fall and release me from the invisible chains that were holding me down.


    These days, I kept reminding myself I was supposed to be an Alpha. Someone, who had enough strength for everyone, not just myself. But somehow, as much as I tried to channel the inner Alpha in me, I couldn''t find it. Maybe the people from my past were right after all. Maybe I wasn''t built for such a high position after all.


    The moment self-doubt crept on me, I tried to push it away. Crying like a baby and pitying myself wouldn''t get me anywhere. Actions would.


    Now, more than ever, I had to work towards getting out of here, no matter the price I would have to pay afterwards. Bane had his own demons to fight, and although I did feel a little sorry after finding out more, I refused to stand next to him and hold his hand during his battle.


    Slowly, I picked myself up and returned to cleaning. For all I cared, the ce could remain as a crime scene till the end of my days, but if nothing more, at least the cleaning gave me some distraction and sense of direction. Soon after, Zion arrived with a bunch of men and cleaners following him. Some of the women he had brought were faces I had seen around the rejects houses, but none were women I had spoken to before.


    "This, guys, this is what I''m talking about. Finally, Bane pulled his head out of his ass and chose a real one, not another good for nothing bed buddy. You might not like our future Luna, but I adore this woman. Just look at how much she has managed to do without any help. If this isn''t taking matters in her own hands and not being scared of getting her hands dirty, I don''t know what it is," Zion praised me.


    Every person who followed him agreed, grinning at me like a bunch of lunatics.


    "Shoot, look at Luna''s hands. Beta Zion, she''s hurt," a woman gasped.


    I quickly shook my head. "It''s nothing, just a few cuts. I''m sure they will heal in no time, you shouldn''t focus on that at all. I''m not sure if there''s enough cups left in the kitchen, but I''m sure I could find some paper cups if you guys would like tea or coffee," I tried to direct their attention to anything but me.


    "See, a perfect fit. Not a thought about being hurt, yet she''s smiling and offering you guys drinks to show you how grateful she is for the help. A true Luna," Zion kept talking.


    My cheeks turned bright red as I bit the tip of my tongue to keep myself from saying anything. I wanted to scream at everyone, to let them know how disgusted I was by them all and the things their Alpha did, but that would put my ns in jeopardy so silence was the best option.


    "I need to run back to the main building and grab something. Will you guys be okay here without me?" Zion suddenly asked, looking straight at me.


    "I promise I won''t bother anyone," I blurted out.


    A sad smile appeared on Zion''s face as he shook his head, but didn''t say anything. At this point, all eyes were on me and oddly, every single person surrounding me looked just as sad as Zion did.


    He cleared his throat and announced. "I''ll get going then." My eyes followed him as Zion walked to the door. He nced at me over his shoulder, looking incredibly upset for a reason and then opened the door. Just before he slipped out, Zion muttered something that surprised me more than the kindness he had shown. "I''m going to fucking kill him."

 55: She never loved you.

    **Zion


    pov**


    I didn''t walk back to the main building, I ran like a rabid dog.


    Since Bane refused to see what was right in front of his eyes, I decided it was time to grab him by the back of his neck and push his nose in the shit he was causing as I would with a house cat who kept shitting all over my ce. If that could teach the little furry shit what he wasn''t supposed to do, I was sure Bane could learn the same way.


    Entering the main building, I was huffing and puffing like mad. No one appeared in my sight, I knew why.


    Whenever the Alpha got in one of his moods, even the bravest of our warriors covered away like scared puppies. Bane was unpredictable and on top of that, the fucker was strong.


    Making my way to his office, I thought of every possible scenario - the oues to anything I might tell him.


    Honestly, they all were absolute shit, but I decided to go with the moment and follow the flow. If my attempt to open his eyes would result in him, beating my ass, so be it.


    When I stopped in front of his office door, I took a few breaths to calm myself and knocked on the door.


    "Come in," he barked not a secondter.


    My hand gripped the handle as an unexpected wave of unease surged through me.


    I hadn''t felt like this in years and in retrospect, I should have taken the gut feeling in consideration, because if I did, I wouldn''t be so surprised by the fist that collided with my jaw the moment I opened the door. "What the fuck?" I snarled as my ass hit the floor and hand covered my jaw.


    I looked up at Bane, red in face, seething in anger. "You can''t have her!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, stalking closer to me.


    He was drunk off his ass, barely holding upright, but I had to give him credit for still standing and attacking me.


    "Can''t have who? Have you lost your mind?" I spat back as I stood up and watched him get even closer. When Bane got in my face, I grinned. "Come to think of it, don''t answer. I don''t care about your drunken delusions, it''s not why I came here."


    "You can''t have her, I''m nning to sell her, you won''t ruin my ns, asshole," Bane spat and punched me again, sending my body back on the floor.


    At this point, I didn''t see any reason to get up again. Bane didn''t kick men when they wereying down, so at least I had a chance to have a conversation with him like this.


    "I''m not trying to get in her pants, if that''s what you''re implying. What I came here to try to do is rub in your face how big of an idiot you are. Hiding in your goddamn office so the world can''t see you''re unable to get over what happened ages ago. She''s gone, your Milly is dead, like it or not," I kept raising my voice, which honestly, was the wrong move. And so were the words I chose.


    Bane''s foot collided with my ribs, breaking a few in the process. So much for not kicking someone when they were down, eh?


    "Keep her name out of your mouth, Zion!" Bane shouted, sending another blow to my ribs.


    Maybeing here was a mistake after all. Maybe I had to stay put and wait until he got through his mood and came to his senses?


    But was waiting worth it? Was letting him lose himself for weeks on end really beneficial to any of us, Bane including?


    Gritting my teeth, I let out a pained sound, which made him stop for a second and look at me. My hand grabbed my side, as if that could ever help with the pain, but at least it was enough to get my point across. "Shit," he muttered and started backing away.


    I knew what Bane was doing. Only now, he realized how far he had gone and soon enough, he would lock himself in the office. Once he got the chance to do so, he would fade away, lost in past misery and mistakes he just made.


    "Up to this day, I have never seen you iste someone like that to ensure you didn''t hurt them. Never, Bane. Not even with Milly. And I will repeat her name, even if you kill me for doing that, but that''s the only way you will listen," as I spoke, I felt something ooze out of my mouth and our surroundings suddenly had a heavy stench of metal.


    Great, not only he broke my ribs, but most likely added more damage than I thought he ever would. Bringing my hand to my mouth, I wiped it and nced at my fingers. Yeah, it was blood.


    Bane copsed a few steps away from me, looking at me in horror. "What did I do? What did I do?" He kept repeating, over and over again.


    "You let your frustration out on me. Not the first time, pal," I muttered and tried to sit up properly.


    A loud hiss left me. Only when I moved did I realize how much pain I really was in.


    Seeing how Bane was pretty willing to listen, but didn''t offer any decent words in return, I decided to go for an attack.


    "When you imed you were choosing her as your Luna, I thought you were out of your mind, probably nning something. Now, I know that you have a n, clearly, but if my opinion matters at all, I believe you should rethink this decision. You''re so freaking stuck on someone who never loved and cared for you that you refuse to see there are so many women who are worthy of you. Milly wasn''t it for you. I know you don''t believe it, but she wasn''t. You loved her so much, man, so fucking hard, you didn''t see she was using you. She never loved you, get that through your thick skull. You did everything and it was never enough. Not enough money, power, not enough known and the list goes on." "Stop,¡± Bane whispered, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the wall.


    "Can''t. For once, you''ll have to listen," I chuckled, instantly regretting it as more pain surged through me and made me wince.


    "And what if I don''t?" He asked, voice weak and trembling.


    "That''s the least you can do after doing this to me," I instantly retorted.


    For a few seconds, I kept quiet, waiting to see and hear if there would be more objections, but none came.


    "When I went to check on her and saw the state of your house, I was shocked. Seriously, this is the worst you have done to something you worked so hard towards building. What shocked me the most is that you destroyed everything of hers. Milly was all over that ce. Furniture, decorations, colors, it was all hers. The only things you didn''t touch even in a fit of blinding rage were those of the woman you im as your fake Luna."


    He still didn''t look at me, even as I took a moment to breathe and gather my thoughts for the final blow. To my surprise, Bane didn''t try to fight me either.


    "I went back with some help. The view brought me back to the past when Milly used to throw shit at you, break it and then demand you cleaned it up. She saw your anger once and then gave you shit for being scared of you for six months." Bane finally opened his eyes and looked at me. The sadness in his gaze hit me pretty hard, so I couldn''t imagine how it felt for him to be in the position he called his reality.


    "Now, imagine my surprise when I saw your fake Luna standing there. She had done so much, I was stunned. Seriously. Instead of whining or ming someone, she took the matters in her own hands and got to work. Do you have any idea what surprised me the most?" I raised an eyebrow, implying I need his answer.


    "What?" Bane choked out.


    "The fact that she was kind. She stood there, afraid to get in anyone''s way, in fact, she even promised me she wouldn''t bother anyone, but still offered them coffee and tea even though she was unsure if there were any cups left. Bane, listen to me, fucking hear my words and think about what I say. You deem her as a product you can sell while that woman stands in the house you destroyed, cleans up your mess and ignores that she''s getting physically hurt in the process." "What?" Bane repeated, but this time, the word was loud, angry even.


    "Do I really need to repeat every single word for you?" I groaned.


    "No," he quickly shook his head. "Just what you meant by getting hurt."


    I looked at him, a little puzzled. "You went back to the house, didn''t you see her?"


    "I ran into her, yes. What the fuck you meant with getting hurt?"


    "Her hands, man," I groaned. "They''re pretty fucked up. One of the rejects pointed it out, actually. Loads of cuts, I think it''s from picking up all the ss you left behind. She was still bleeding when I left. Actually, I think by offering drinks, she tried to distract everyone from her injuries, so maybe it wasn''t anything she said from the kindness of her heart."

 56: I’m sorry.

    **Aife


    pov**


    A part of me was extremely curious about what Zion was nning to do, but the other insisted I had to drop it.


    What people in this pack did or didn''t do was none of my business.


    My main goal was to y the little, scaredmb and bend to every demand Bane would have until he trusted me and I could escape.


    Focusing on that, I jumped in to help the cleaners. For a while, it actually felt nice.


    People around me weren''t putting me down, they focused on the work and chatted away. Some men flirted with women, which clearly was something women enjoyed.


    At one point, a man approached me and cleared his throat, starting me in the process. I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering if he came to say something mean like others had done before.


    Despite his tough appearance, he seemed hesitant and the slight blush on his cheeks made him look like he was nervous about something.


    "Can I help with anything?" I asked since he remained silent.


    He cleared his throat again and started shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "Yeah, sorry, Luna. I was wondering if you are too busy to maybe check if there are any paper cups after all or if we should send anyone to the main house to fetch some. We talked and agreed that a coffee break would be awesome, if you don''t mind."


    Just as I was about to open my mouth, he spoke again.


    "And we also agreed that you need to rest. We fully understand it is not our call to make, but if you would allow us, we wanted to call the pack doctor to look at your hands. Those cuts are pretty nasty and everyone here thinks you should think about yourself a little more. We don''t want to overstep, we''re just worried about you."


    A smile I didn''t want to exist spread across my lips. It was foolish, I knew, but the stranger''s words made me feel warm inside.


    The other men and women were throwing me worried nces, clearly proving that the man wasn''t lying.


    "What is your name?" I blurted out.


    His eyes widened a little and the blush on his cheeks turned darker. "William." He muttered, sounding as if he was ashamed of his own name.


    I cleaned off one of my hands and offered it to him. "It''s nice to meet you, William. My name is Aife."


    One thing my father taught me was to always be kind to everyone. Even those who hurt me.


    Kindness was the key to hearts and while I nned to leave everyone behind, for the time being, a friend or an ally would benefit me greatly.


    With a slight tremble to his hand, William shook my hand and grinned. "The pleasure is mine, Luna. So, coffee?"


    I chuckled and nodded, looking over his shoulder to gain the attention of the others who were cleaning up the mess. "Coffee for everyone or should I prepare some tea too?"


    To my utter surprise, everyone''s faces lighted up in bright smiles as they all called out their drinks of choice. It was so different from how it was when I just was brought here that the change was hard to believe.


    No one looked down on me, no one sneered or red daggers at me.


    I wasted another five minutes trying to convince everyone that I was fine and I didn''t need the pack doctor''s help. When I told them there was a first aid kit in the kitchen, which by the way was a lie, they backed off and made me promise I would tend to my wounds.


    Now, I had to figure out how to do that. Or, I would just call for them when the drinks were ready and lie again, probably something about not being able to find the kit after all.


    Once I disappeared inside the kitchen, I listened to all of themugh and have fun while they worked. Instantly, I started checking the cabs and shelves for the paper cups, seeing there were no breakable ones left.


    I got so distracted by my thoughts and the melody I was humming under my breath that I didn''t notice how the happy, yful chatter faded and a weird tension appeared out of nowhere.


    That is, until I heard the main door close and the door to the kitchen open.


    ncing over my shoulder, I froze. Bane was back. Quickly, I averted my gaze and started overexining what I was doing on an instinct. "I''m sorry, I was looking for paper cups because the good ones are broken and got distracted. I mean, I was working, I kept cleaning up after you left, but Beta brought some help and they wanted coffee, and tea, and drinks, and I just..."


    I spoke until I was out of breath, ignoring that at one point, the only word that left my lips was ''and'' over, and over again.


    Bane didn''t utter a word, which honestly, made the situation even worse.


    Whenever he screamed or raged, it was easier for me to figure out how to go about things, but when he didn''t, I had no idea what to expect.


    Slowly, I turned around to face him. As soon as I did, he stepped closer and I instinctively flinched away with every step he took.


    I realized I had backed myself in the corner only when he stood in front of me, his dark presence looming over me.


    When he extended his hand, I didn''t know what to expect or do. He looked like he was crazy - silent, unreadable expression on his face, hand held forward as if he wanted me to give him some change.


    "I-I didn''t take anything," I stuttered out the first assumption that came to my mind. He couldn''t think that I was a thief, could he?


    Bane let out a grunt, sucked in an annoyed breath and whispered, "hand."


    I looked down at his hand, then at him, and again at his hand. So many thoughts rushed through my mind, so many fears I didn''t want to admit, but I knew, if I didn''t do what he asked me to, it would be way worse. My hand shook as I ced it in his. The moment our skin touched, I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath.


    Anything I expected didn''t happen. When Bane ced his other hand over mine and gently flipped mine, I slowly opened my eyes.


    He was inspecting my hand, a serious look on his face, eyebrows furrowed. "The cuts are very deep, no wonder you''re still bleeding. I think there is ss stuck in them too. Give me the other hand," he muttered without looking at me. I yed along and gave him my other hand, just to get the same reaction and words repeated. His actions shocked me speechless.


    Bane didn''t inflict any pain, his touch was warm and gentle, almostforting. But then, he dropped my hands, spun on his heel and left the kitchen.


    I stood without moving, staring at the door,pletely dazed. A momentter, he returned and told me toe closer. When I did, he gripped my hips and lifted me so I sat on the kitchen counter, or at least the part that wasn''t demolished. Bane dragged a chair in front of me and sat down. I watched him ce a towel on my legs and my hands on top of it. He opened the first aid kit I hadn''t noticed before, grabbed tweezers and slowly started pulling ss bits out of my hands. How I hadn''t noticed their existence before was beyond me. Maybe I just got used to the pain and didn''t feel them cutting and moving in the wounds as I kept working?


    The whole house was deathly silent, making me think Bane sent everyone away. I hated this silence, would rather prefer the voices and chatter just so I wouldn''t have to hold my breath while he was around.


    At one point, I zoned out as Bane tended to my wounds. Everything felt peaceful and calm while I was stuck in my thoughts, but it all changed when he decided to speak again. "I''m sorry."

 57: It’s about time.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Two words. Just two words was enough for Bane to turn my world upside down.


    Was right wrong now? Was ck white? Was everything I thought as the truth suddenly a lie?


    As his words echoed in my mind, unwilling to leave me at peace, my eyes kept widening. At one point, I had to try and stop, otherwise I would look like a bug.


    "I''m sorry," he repeated again, this time, his voice was softer.


    The initial shock slowly wore down, but that did nothing but leave me with more questions. Was the apology genuine? And if it was, what for?


    Bane had more things to apologize for than I could count, surely he could specify what it was that he suddenly regretted.


    Plus, since he wasn''t looking at me while he spoke, there was no way I could know if the words were genuine or just another of his shows.


    "I''m sorry," he repeated again, louder.


    Sucking in a sharp breath, I tried to pull my hand away from him and escape the situation. There were so many things I wanted to say and do to this man, but any of those could trigger a chain reaction. pping Bane across his face was something I dreamt of doing, and yet, if I did, I would kill any chance of getting out of here.


    "I''m not done yet, sit still," he grumbled.


    "I can do this. You''ve been drinking," my voice came out weak, barely audible.


    Someone like Bane wouldn''t know, but this supposed ''worry and attention'' from him were nothing but a dagger to one''s self-respect.


    I was more than capable of taking care of myself. I didn''t need my tormentor to tend to my wounds.


    If Bane wanted to be helpful, he could have stayed wherever he was, drinking himself to death.


    That would be the best scenario. Without him around, no one could hold me back from running away from this dump.


    God, even in my thoughts I sounded miserable. How Bane managed to turn me into a shell of a person I once was, was beyond me.


    Slowly, Bane lifted his head until his gaze met mine. I had to be wrong, but it looked like tears welled up in his eyes. If it was true, they had to sting and he really was fighting to hold them back.


    Wait, since when did I care? Right, I didn''t. Bane was a beast. He was a man, who did nothing but take, take and take. No questions asked.


    "Please," he whispered. "Let me finish so you can get some rest. I won''t do anything to hurt you." A dark chuckle left his lips, "guess I already did."


    The lump in my throat grew to the size of a grapefruit. I couldn''t swallow around it.


    "It is my fault that you got hurt... again," he muttered thest part so quietly, I barely caught on the word.


    Looking for any excuse to get away from him, I blurted out the first thing that appeared in my mind, "there''s still a lot of cleaning to do. I promised to help them." Bane shook his head. "No."


    "But," I gasped. "But there''s so much to do, it''s unfair they have to do everything on their own, without any help." I argued.


    The corner of his lips twitched as Bane tilted his head. "You do realize they are getting paid overtime to do that, right?"


    Although I wasn''t sure if this was another lie or not, one thing was clear - there were a few people who weren''t getting paid at all.


    "How about the women? Are they getting paid overtime as well? Or paid at all?"


    The questions were reasonable, nothing to be ashamed of, but once they hung in the air, I visibly flinched away from him, expecting a blow... That never came. Instead, Bane hummed and almost smiled. "As a matter of fact, yeah. They do get paid for the work they are doing around the pack."


    Why, just why those words had toe at me like a dagger to the heart? Did Bane realize he kept giving out just how differently I was treated around here? Starting from how I ended up here to getting paid and many more details. Why was he doing this to me? Why couldn''t he let me leave and be done with this? "Okay," was all I could mutter as my gaze focused on the floor and shoulders gged.


    It didn''t matter, not anymore. Focusing on these things would keep dragging me down and holding me back from everything that mattered.


    I had to learn how to ignore the injustice. Besides, I was the only one who was targeted by it, so it had to be a ''me'' problem.


    Thankfully, Bane didn''t seem to notice the wheels turning in my head and let me be. There was a possibility he chose to ignore it, and if that was true, I owed him a moment of silence for letting go of the matter.


    Slowly, my mind sunk back into the abyss of thoughts and questions. Lately, I had grown fond of the ce I used to avoid at all costs. After all, it was my only escape.


    I had no idea how much time had passed. I also hadn''t noticed Bane putting everything in ces and cleaning up after himself until he thrust a cup of warm tea in my bandaged hands.


    "That''s the only one I could find here. The packaging said it''s good for nerves and some other shit," Bane muttered, concentrating on looking anywhere but at me. "Wow, I really did a number on this ce," he muttered, somewhat amused.


    I knew he was trying to change the topic, so I let him and just sipped the tea he made me. Stupid, yes, but I felt like I needed it. I could worry about what Bane added to itter, when the consequences would catch up with me. "Drink all of it," he ordered as if I wasn''t sipping the boiling hot drink fast enough.


    "It''s hot," I pointed out the obvious. Honestly, I didn''t think it had to be done, but the look of impatience on his face told otherwise.


    "Shoot," he hissed under his breath and rushed to the refrigerator.


    I watched Bane move around, and honestly, I found the view amusing. He acted like an elephant in a china shop, on top of looking ufortable and worried.


    Bane grabbed a few ice cubes and tossed them in my tea with a victorious smile across his lips. "There, problem solved. Drink."


    A little vary, I did as I was told and downed the tea in a few gulps. When I was done, he snatched the cup from me and washed it, muttering something under his breath.


    Bane smelled like a barrel of whiskey, but despite how much I thought he had drunk and what Zion told me, he appeared rtively sober. He was easy on his feet and didn''t slur his speech.


    Turning around to face me, Bane took a moment to look me up and down. "This won''t do," he suddenly announced and walked straight towards me.


    I wanted to move away, but my body froze and refused to cooperate with me. The next moment, he was right in front of me, wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me off the counter. Except, when I thought he would let me walk away - he didn''t.


    Instead, Bane carried me out of the kitchen bridal style and headed for the main door.


    "W-where are you taking me?" I asked, silently cursing my inability to hide the fear that surged through me.


    "To the main building. I have a bedroom there, no one will bother you, so don''t overreact. This ce isn''t good anymore. Until I fix what I broke, you''re staying somewhere safe." As Bane spoke, for some reason, it felt like he was talking about more than just the house.


    And a momentter, he proved my suspicions were true. "I keep iming you as Luna of this pack, suppose it''s about time I start treating you as one."

 58: You think too loud.

    **Aife pov**


    When Bane made the ims about treating me as Luna he imed I was about to be, I didn''t believe it at first.


    To be clear, I believed those were sick liesing from a drunk person. A drunk person who maybe didn''t look as drunk as he supposedly was.


    I didn''t question him as Bane carried me to the building and called out to the pack members to gather in the great hall.


    He probably knew how ufortable I was in his arms with all those eyes focusing on me, but even when I tried to wiggle out of his hold, he didn''t let me go. For some reason, Bane forgot about my ability to stand on my feet. "Listen up, everyone," Bane''s deep voice echoed against the walls, drawing attention to his presence, which already wasrger than life.


    "Things are about to change up a little. First of all, everyone by now probably already knows I lost my temper - the house is fucked. So much so that it''s not safe for my Luna to stay there. From now on, she''s staying in the main building and no one has the right to bother her. Whatever it is, I don''t give a damn, don''t bother her. Don''t approach her, don''t try to talk to her and most importantly, if you value your limbs - don''t touch or look at her. Have I made myself clear?" "Yes, Alpha," the men replied in unison.


    My cheeks burned as Bane''s men started averting their gazes, following the Alpha''smand.


    "That''s better. Get some of the staff to make her something to eat, I will be in the kitchen after half an hour and I expect the food ready by then."


    "Yes, Alpha," again, everyone spoke at the same time.


    Bane spun on his heel and left his men behind to head towards the staircase.


    My hand trembled a little, but I still went with the gut feeling as I ced it on his chest. "Don''t be angry, they didn''t do anything wrong just now." I whispered.


    He froze in his step and looked down at me. For what felt like an eternity, Bane looked for something in my eyes until a slight smile appeared on his lips.


    "How are you still putting everyone else before you is beyond me. Too good to be true, indeed," he whispered thest part.


    "I''m not. I just stated a fact, that''s all," I tried to argue, making Baneugh.


    My cheeks had to look redder than a tomato because they were burning with such intensity, I was pretty sure I had started sweating.


    Thankfully, Bane didn''t address that. He focused back on his mission to carry me around like a child and growl at anyone who had the gall to look our way.


    By the time we reached the infamous bedroom door, I had lost the count of the doors we passed to get here. But even as he carried me inside the room, Bane didn''t let me go.


    "I don''t want to anger you, but I can stand on my own feet. There''s no need to carry me around like a helpless baby," I muttered as my gaze took in the bedroom.


    This one was nowhere near as fancy as the one in the house he destroyed, but this described ''Bane'' better, if it made any sense.


    The room in his house was both shy and ssy at the same time. A bedroom one would see in magazines, photos from celebrity houses and so on.


    This, yeah, this was different. It was simple, no over-the-top details or anything. Just a ce to rx and find peace.


    Funny how I would never deem Bane as someone who sought privacy, but this was a room that screamed the words ''leave me alone.''


    And yet, I liked it.


    "I meant it," Bane''s voice pulled me out of the daze.


    I tilted my head to nce at him. Just to see if I could read his expression and find out if I had missed something he said, and check if he was angry again.


    Bane didn''t look like he was about to m me against the wall, which had to be a great sign. But then again, he also looked calm, a little too calm.


    Not knowing someone as calm and collected surely raised some doubts in my mind once the explosive person showed no emotions at all. "You think too loud," he muttered.


    Bane''s face was too close to mine. In fact, so close that his breath fanned my face as he spoke. Just a tiny movement and our lips would brush.


    Shivers ran down my spine as I looked away and whispered a weak apology. I didn''t want to like Bane. Even the side of Bane that proved to be sane, calm, gentle and inviting at times.


    This was the man who ughtered my family, not a friend! Why did I have to remind myself what he had done all of the time? Why did I keep forgetting?


    "I think it''s best if we take a shower first. After that, you cany down and watch some TV show or a movie while I go downstairs to get your food." "W-we? S-shower? As in shower together? As in you and me? At the same time?" I stuttered as my eyes grew wider with each word that left my lips.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see Bane grinning at me like the maniac he truly was.


    "Of course. It''s not like you can wash your hair or hold a bar of soap, did you forget? Your hands are hurt badly, and I''ll just help out a little. Promise not to touch you unless you''refortable with it." He exined as he carried me inside the bathroom and finally set me on my feet.


    I never knew silence could be loud until this moment. It took him a few seconds until his eyes widened and Bane cleared his throat, looking a little ufortable.


    His eyes shot to the toilet seat and he cleared his throat again. "Do you-" he cut himself off just to once again, clear his throat. "Should I?" And again.


    It was weirdly endearing to watch him stumble over his words and grow annoyed.


    "No," I chuckled, putting him out of his misery. "I don''t need to pee, if that''s what you''re asking."


    "Yeah," he muttered and brought his hand to the back of his neck to scratch it. "That was what I was asking. Yeah."


    And again, the dreaded silence. It weighed on me more than my own thoughts did at times. I had no idea how long we stood like idiots, looking anywhere but at each other, but when it became too much, he finally cracked.


    "I''ll help you out of your clothes. If anything, please tell me. I''ll be as careful as I can, but if you''re in pain or I do something wrong, seriously, please tell me," his cheeks tinted red as Bane dropped to his knees and slowly started undressing


    me.


    It wasn''t the first, and most likely not thest time, Bane saw me naked, but this felt different. He didn''t rip the clothes off me, he undressed me slowly, almost as if he was trying to learn how to be gentle.


    Maybe, I could get over it, but once I realized his eyes were slowly scanning my body, I knew this truly was different. Bane could deny it all he wanted, he could scream at the top of his lungs for all I cared, but there was something different about him.


    The spark in his eyes. It was weak, barely noticeable and he clearly fought to hide it, but it still was there. I had seen the spark before, I knew what it meant. Lust.

 59: You are too thin.

    **Aife


    pov**


    As his gaze slowly traveled up and Bane leaned his head back so he could look into my eyes, my breath hitched and my heart... it skipped a beat.


    I wasn''t sure if this was excitement that bubbled inside me or raw fear.


    My mother once told me to listen to my gut feeling, not the butterflies that danced in my stomach. That was a warning sign, butterflies were bad, an early fight or flight response. But if that was the truth, why did the butterflies start an atomic war inside me, why did they scream in my mind that I shouldn''t look away, that I should give in?


    The lust that burned in his eyes was new, but there was something more that caught mepletely off guard.


    Longing. Sadness and pain beyond measure.


    There were so many conflicted emotions in his gaze that I didn''t dare to look away, afraid I might miss something.


    I hated myself for being this way. For always fighting myself every step of the way, desperate to find good in people who had wronged me times and times again. And now, I did the same with Bane.


    Suddenly, it didn''t matter that he hadmitted crimes worse than anyone. It didn''t matter that he was more of a beast than a human, and that he had hurt me so many times. All I could think about was how much I wanted to wrap my arms around him and take the pain away.


    No matter how evil the viin of my story was, he was hurting. Bad. And no one deserved the hurt that I found in his eyes.


    "Shower," I whispered, sounding like someone else, but definitely not me.


    Bane kept looking at me. He didn''t move a muscle, he didn''t try to force himself on me or y some dirty tricks. He just gazed at me.


    Funny how I was already used to his threatening res and didn''t pay attention to them.


    But now that he just gazed at me as if I was something magical and beautiful, I couldn''t take it. The pressure was too much.


    And once again, I found myself wishing the old Bane woulde back.


    I already felt pity for this man, for whatever he had gone through, and it had to stop. I needed to hate him. I needed to despise him with all my heart, passionately.


    The only issue was that my body wanted a different kind of passion. At least once.


    "Bane, you said we need to take a shower. Your cooks are working downstairs, the food will be ready soon." I clung to any excuse I could think of.


    A momentter, Bane shook his head and broke out of the odd trance. His eyes traveled to the nearest wall and focused on it. "Yeah," he cleared his throat and slowly raised to his feet. "Sorry, let''s get over this. I''m sure you''re tired." I nodded so fast, I was surprised I didn''t get dizzy.


    Unlike Bane, I didn''t look at him while he was undressing. He might have enjoyed looking at my body, but I wouldn''t return the same energy.


    His touch was gentle when he ced his hand on the small of my back and led me inside the enormous shower. Bane ordered me to stay aside while he checked the water temperature, so I did.


    My back was turned to him so I wouldn''t have the temptation to look at him.


    We didn''t speak a word as he hummed a melody under his breath, one I hadn''t heard before.


    Then, I jumped when he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me under the stream of water. "Hey, it''s just water, it won''t hurt you," he muttered.


    All I could do was nod. I knew that sometimes I overreacted a little, but I wasn''t the biggest fan of suddenly being pulled under the water, even if in the shower. Bane still held me tight against his body. He rested his head on my shoulder and muttered, "you are too thin."


    On cue, I looked down. I wasn''t too thin. In fact, I was at healthy weight, and even maybe a little over. He might be a beast, but Bane didn''t exactly deny me food.


    "I think I''m good," I replied without thinking.


    A chuckle left him. "I didn''t ask what you think, I stated a fact. You are too thin. I like my women with a little more flesh on their bones. In fact, the more the better. I''m not exactly a small guy as you see, so it''s not like I can''t carry around a woman even if she deems herself ''fat'', while I disagree. I prefer if I feel the soft skin and flesh when I grab my woman, not her bones. And yours," he trailed off.


    I held my breath as Bane slid his finger over my ribs and then down to my hips. His actions were intentional, but not forced.


    "Yours are visible to anyone. Even when you''re fully dressed. I can see your bones everywhere. You''re too thin," he stated with a little more aggressioncing his words.


    "I think I''m fine. Healthy weight," I muttered.


    Honestly, I was dying to get out of here already. He imed he wouldn''t touch me, and yet, he did.


    "You promised to wash my hair, remember?" I added, just to give him something to busy himself with.


    For as long as he focused on washing my hair, not my body, I could still be somewhat okay with the weird change of heart.


    "Yeah, I remember," Bane muttered as he turned his head and his lips slightly brushed my skin.


    Wherever his skin met mine, it burned. I wasn''t sure if it was a burn of disgust or something else, but I couldn''t tell anyway.


    I had been sheltered from many things in my old life, men included, so I had no experience.


    At the end of the day, as much as I loved my father and looked up to him, I knew that one day he would use me as a business transaction. Unfortunately for me it meant that I was basically clueless about far too many things in my life. Bane stepped away from me so I leaned my head back and let the water soak my hair fully. From there, I let everything go and cleared my mind. I didn''t want to think.


    The beast did wash my hair. He was gentle and careful not to pull on it. Bane went as far as reading the instructions on the bottles like a true lunatic, just to know for how long he was supposed to leave the mask in my hair. When he rinsed me off and lifted me out of the shower, I shivered as the cold bathroom air licked at my skin.


    Bane was there a secondter, wrapping me inside a massive towel and carrying me into the bedroom. He set me on the bed and ordered me to stay.


    Maybe he forgot I didn''t really have a choice in it?


    He returned with a massive T-shirt and a small bag in his hand.


    "What is that?" I asked, eyeing the bag with suspicion.


    "Panties and a bra. I sent a maid to the house to pack you some for now. Tomorrow we can go there and grab some clothes for you, but for now, this will do." Bane announced with a proud smile across his lips.


    Just like he undressed me in the bathroom, he now pulled me to my feet and helped me get dressed. His eyes lingered on my breasts for a little too long, but I wrote it down as typical man behavior.


    Once Bane pulled his shirt over my head, he whispered something to himself and scooped me in his arms again. "Where are you taking me?" I gasped.


    "Bed," heughed. Bane actually carried me the mere three steps I would have to walk to get in bed myself.


    I stared at him in pure disbelief as he pulled the covers over me and handed me the TV remote. "I meant it when I said it''s about time I treat you as what I im you are," Bane muttered without meeting my eyes and left the bedroom.

 60: Willing to negotiate.

    **Bane pov**


    I couldn''t think straight anymore. Whatever the hell was it that possessed me, I had to get rid of it, and fast.


    Her scent followed me everywhere I went. Ever since Iid my eyes on reject, I knew there had to be something special about her.


    It wasn''t only the fact that she was the only woman a pack held such a tight grip on. She was sheltered from everything, hidden from the eyes of the public. But for what?


    To top off the questions, there still was the issue with her scent. It was sweet, sickeningly so, but it kept lingering around like the most wonderful aroma in this universe.


    She smelled like candies and cakes at birthday parties. The scent that invited everyone to enjoy themselves a little more before they were forced to return to their depressing lives.


    Shaking the thoughts off, I headed inside the kitchen. The cooks were washing the pots and two steaming hot dishes were already on the kitchen counter, waiting for me. "Thank you," I said, reaching my hand to grab one of the tes and the utensils.


    "Aren''t you going to eat, Bane? I made the te you''re holding with you in mind," Every, the new girl asked.


    I eyed her with suspicion. Ever since she arrived, she had acted a little toofortable. It wasn''t just the asional nces or her stupid need to address me by my name, but also all those times she went out of her way to touch me. Seeing how we weren''t alone and I didn''t want to rip her a new one in front of all these people, and most importantly - Aife''s food was cooling off, I groaned and pinned her down with my gaze.


    "My Luna is waiting for me and I never said I was hungry. The food is for her, not me,¡± I announced sternly, emphasizing the word Luna.


    Every rolled her eyes and muttered, "whatever, she won''tst."


    I wasn''t known as someone who could take disrespect and I wasn''t nning to change it either. Slowly, I set the te down and walked towards her.


    A bright smile appeared on her lips as Every ran a hand through her hair, eagerly waiting for me to get closer.


    This woman had no survival instincts. A predator neared her and she acted excited.


    My hand shot out and wrapped around her throat before I could register it. Her back hit the wall and a pained whimper left her soon after.


    Adding pressure on her throat, I leaned a little closer and growled, "who isn''t going tost now, hmm? You seem to have a lot of things to say about your Luna, why don''t you raise your voice and say everything to my face? Why keep hiding behind whispers?"


    I knew my voice was growing louder and the hold around her throat became tighter but I didn''t care. Not when she was directly threatening the woman in my bed.


    Maybe I did care too much for someone who was nning to sell her off to someone else, but it wasn''t like I couldn''t enjoy the time we still had together. More or less.


    "Alpha," someone gasped behind me, but I paid no attention to it.


    What I did pay attention to was how Every''s face turned red, then purple and then, it had a nice blue tint to her skin. I wondered how long she would survive if I kept adding the pressure.


    "I- I," she tried to speak, but I shut off all of her efforts by simply adding more pressure.


    "What is it? Cat got your tongue? Just a moment ago, you were all for disrespecting your superiors and vomiting words. What happened, Every?" Iughed in her face.


    Mutters filled the kitchen, I knew more people had joined the staff, but they knew better than to intervene. They knew it was best to stay away from me when I was like this. And then, I heard her voice.


    "Bane!" She gasped.


    I knew I would see the disappointment in her eyes, so I didn''t bother to look at her. She knew I was a monster, she had seen the things I was capable of doing, so why the hell did she sound so surprised? The next moment, everything happened too fast. Someone grabbed my upper arm and tried to pull me away from Every. They seeded, in a way.


    I released my hold on her throat and let her copse on the floor and turned around as I backhanded whoever was trying to get me off that woman.


    You could hear a pin drop as I slowly turned around to see who it was. My own eyes widened in disbelief as I looked at Aife,ying on the floor.


    Tears filled her eyes as she held her hand over her cheek. As soon as people started to approach her and ask if she was okay, I growled at them. I needed everyone to stay the fuck away from her.


    However, when I took a step towards her, my heart in my throat, urging me to apologize, she started crawling away from me, shaking her head vigorously. Shock was written all over her face, but the fear I could see in her eyes... The fear of me... It didn''t amuse me.


    In fact, she was the only bloody person I didn''t want to fear me. She was the only one who shouldn''t because I wouldn''t intentionally hurt her.


    Or so I thought... Hadn''t that been all what I had done ever since we met? Hurt her.


    I tried to approach her again, tossing all caution aside, but the same thing happened. As I got closer, she did everything to increase the distance.


    And when she dropped her hand from her cheek, I couldn''t believe how much damage I had done with one p. Anyone could tell my damn ring size by just looking at the imprint on her cheek.


    Worst of all, it wasn''t just red, I could already see a bruise forming.


    That was when it hit me. I didn''t mean to, but I still hurt her. For as long as I stayed around, one way or another, I would hurt her.


    This had to end. The odd obsession with her presence wasn''t something I asked for, so I had the right to rid myself of it. For good.


    I didn''t say anything as I left the kitchen and walked straight to my office. I wanted to lock the door, but knowing how my pack was gossiping, Zion had to be on his way to me already.


    And he was. I barely stepped inside the office when the door swung open and his fist connected with my jaw. I deserved it.


    "What the fuck are you doing here? Go back to her and fucking apologise!" He spat through gritted teeth.


    "No," I said and let my gaze fall to the floor. "Get a hold of Killian and tell him we need to arrange a meeting. Tell him I have his girl and I''m willing to negotiate the exchange. Give him five days to decide how he wants this to happen. And in the meantime, move reject to the staff room, whichever is empty, just move her there. Until she''s gone, your only responsibility is to keep her away from me. You can leave."

 61: Way better than this futuristic dump.

    **Zion


    pov**


    "Na, man, you can''t be serious," I gaped at Bane as he spun around and walked to the window of his office.


    I knew him, probably better than he thought.


    Others viewed him as a man with no conscience, but he had it. And it hit harder than anyone could imagine.


    I had seen his ups and downs, I had seen the struggle and the holes he dug for himself. In one way or another, I had watched Bane dig his own grave plenty of times.


    "As serious as one could be," Bane announced, sounding defeated.


    And he really was. It had been years since thest time I watched Bane get so excited about someone. Years since his eyes followed someone''s movements with such precision without letting others know he was interested. Bane liked Aife in his own, twisted way. Funny how he hadn''t realized that yet.


    And while I was all for supporting my best friend, I wasn''t sure if my support was the right thing in this situation.


    Aife was different. Not in a sense as a woman who came from two Alpha bloodlines, no. She stood nowhere near the egoistic and prideful Alphas.


    She was pure, raw, real, in all senses of the words. Her reactions were genuine, she worried about others more than she did about herself, and she fucking cared. God, did that woman care.


    I hated how much I hated wanting to see her next to Bane. She could change him, she could bring the best out of him and show him true happiness.


    But then again, I also knew better than others that one''s happiness didn''t depend on other people. It had to be found within. And why would we subject Aife to basically bing a live-in nanny for my best friend, his traumas and emotions? "I know I will regret ever saying this, but are you sure? Likepletely sure that it will be better for her to go with Killian?" I asked as I took a step closer to Bane.


    "Yes," he barked without thinking.


    "But will it be better for you? Can you picture yourself letting go of her? And don''t give me that bullshit about you not caring, because we both know you do. Fuck, Bane, you care. A lot." I kept pushing him. Unless my best friend managed to pull his head out of his ass, nothing would change. He wouldn''t grow or change as a person if he refused to embrace the change in question.


    "Take that soul-searching bullshit of yours and leave. I don''t have time, energy and patience to deal with your crap. Not now and probably not ever." Bane barked at me.


    I could hear a tiny hint of his Alpha toneing to the surface, so I had to back away. If I provoked his beast, it wouldn''t end pretty for me, which in turn would take many things away from that poor girl. She had no one but herself and she even didn''t have her wolf. So, it was best if at least one person remained in her corner. And if Bane refused to be that person, I had to step up. "Alright, if you say so," I muttered, spun on my heel and left him.


    The moment I stepped outside the office and heard him lock the door behind me, I knew what to expect next. Bane would drink himself stupid until he would lose any remnants of emotions and feelings. My best friend was aplicated creature, refusing to feel and always doing anything to stay numb.


    Although I hated it, I had to let him be. The truth was that Bane was a grown man and he didn''t need a babysitter to tell him what to do. If he wanted to self-destruct and sabotage every person who tried to help him, it was his choice. Now, I had to focus on Aife.


    First things first, I had to get her out of Bane''s room as soon as possible. I would prefer it if she didn''t have to leave, but the Alpha''s word was thew.


    Except, I didn''t intend to toss her with the servants, they would eat Aife alive. Instead, I nned to offer her my bedroom and I could crash on a sofa or something like that.


    Once I reached Bane''s bedroom, I didn''t knock on the door. I entered, knowing damn well she wouldn''t be asleep. And she wasn''t.


    Aife sat on the bed with a pack of ice against her cheek. She tried to smile at me, but it was clear that it pained her, so she gave up.


    "He got you good, huh?" I tried to remain light-hearted and joked around.


    Aife chuckled and shook her head, "yeah, that he did."


    "At one point, you just get used to it," I muttered and shrugged as my eyes took in my best friend''s bedroom. It had no personality, much like Bane. "I got a hook to my jaw the other day too. Comes and goes in waves, you know." To me, it was nothing. But for Aife, it was a big deal as she stared at me wide-eyed,pletely caught off guard. "Get used to it?" She finally spoke. "Since when getting used to being abused and mistreated is a thing? He assaulted you and you don''t feel a bit of anger towards him?"


    Aife kept growing increasingly more annoyed with each word that passed her lips. I got why she felt this way, she was an outsider after all, but I sort of wished she would understand things better too.


    "You don''t seem too angry about that shiner on your cheek," I quickly pushed all attention on her to see if she would react at all.


    Aife''s shoulders slugged as she forced out a breath. "I can''t be angry. He didn''t mean this, he didn''t want to hit me. I saw it in his eyes - shock, regret, pain, and then, fear. Bane didn''t mean to hurt me, it was more of my fault than it could be his, so I can''t be mad at him for something that basically is nothing but consequences for my actions."


    Strong, kind, beautiful, and absolutely stupid. Yeah, that summed her up pretty nicely. While I didn''t want to be the person who put her down, Aife had to realize something was terribly wrong with her.


    I got her point of view, I really did, but the issue was that she sought her me in something she hadn''t really done. Made me wonder how good her home life was. Usually, people me themselves after years of mistreatment and being med by others.


    Making a mental note to pry a littleter, I offered her my hand.


    "What are you doing?" She shed me a weak smile.


    "Bane wants you out of this room as soon as possible. I''m fulfilling his wishes. Kind of. Well, almost, okay? He wanted you with the servants, but I can''t let that happen so you''re going with me. Come on, you will love my room, it''s way better than this futuristic dump."

 62: An outsider.

    **Aife pov**


    Zion was nice. Maybe even a little too nice. Definitely more than I deserved.


    He didn''t owe me anything, and yet, he went out of his way to ensure I wasfortable and safe.


    I was pretty sure the man didn''t know how much he was doing for me.


    As he led me down the countless halls, I didn''t see even a soul around the house. In fact, I couldn''t hear a sound, which made me a little worried.


    Zion picked on my unease and chuckled. "It''ste, so everyone went to bed. We might be a pack of savages, but we all love good sleep. And besides, no one would evere here, especially with Bane being as pissy as he is now. There''s a difference between being courageous and foolish."


    "What is that supposed to mean?" I arched an eyebrow.


    "A man who possesses insane courage can do anything. Take Bane, for example. The fucker fears nothing, hence why he got where he is today. But then, there''s the fool. In this case it would be anyone who dared to step near where Bane might be resting. You don''t face someone who fears nothing," Zion exined.


    Just as I parted my lips to question him, Zion added a little more, in a whisper, so quietly I barely caught on the words, "someone, who has nothing to lose."


    It seemed like whatever the issue truly was, it was deep-rooted and I really didn''t have the right to keep questioning him. Their pack, their problems.


    We kept walking in silence, so to distract myself from the pulsating pain running through one side of my face, I let my eyes roam over the paintings in the hall.


    Most of them were views of nature, impressive mountains and powerful waterfalls, but there were a few of one woman. Oddly enough, while the paintings still hung on the walls, her face was wed off them. Not even one of them had any features of her face left.


    "Someone must have hated the poor woman," I muttered to myself.


    "Long, long story, but I will tell you about it some other day. We''re here," Zion announced and stopped in front of a door.


    I really wanted to know the story behind the damaged paintings, but I also didn''t. I kind of didn''t like that Zion caught on my words because if he wouldn''t have, he wouldn''t start the spark of curiosity within me.


    He opened the door and stood aside, inviting me in. I couldn''t help but smile at the goofy expression on his face, despite how much it hurt. "Thank you."


    Entering the bedroom, one thing was clear - Zion didn''t lie. I liked it. It was bright, fresh and just entering the room made me feel more cheerful. While Bane''s bedroom looked like that of an old man, Zion''s room reminded more of a kids


    room.


    And of course, he had to prove just how right I was with my assumption.


    "Look, I have some gaming consoles here and a massive TV. Bet Bane didn''t tell you about my grand TV because he didn''t want you here. Who cares? Anyway, here''s my figurine collection. As you see, I really like elephants. Not sure what is so appealing about those long nosed, big eared fuckers, but I love them." Zion beamed.


    My eyes followed his finger as he pointed out the things one by one. Then, he pointed at a massive bed, overstocked with pillows. "You can sleep here, I''ll take the couch."


    I shot my hands up and shook my head. "No, you are the host and I am the guest here, so we will do it the other way around. I would prefer the couch. And besides, it looks like you''re really into pillows which is something I don''t exactly enjoy."


    "Yeah, I hump them whenever I can," Zion grinned and winked at me.


    I made a face and he justughed at me. For a moment, it was nice, freeing even, to be in hispany. Zion had a way about him that made me feel like nothing could go wrong. He was so cheerful and carefree, I wished I could be the


    same.


    "Oh, shit," he hissed, stopping the fit ofughter on the spot.


    "What?"


    Zion pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. "They made you food and you never ate. I should bring something here so you can fill that tummy up."


    "Nope, I never imed I was hungry. I wouldn''t mind having breakfast after getting some sleep, but I''m good for now. Really."


    He watched me for a couple of seconds and gave in. "Alrighty then, let''s get the beds ready then, maybe watch some movie and snore our lives away. Oh, yeah, I''ve been told I snore."


    "Let''s hope you won''t snore tonight then," Iughed.


    Honestly, I hated snoring. Oftentimes, I struggled with insomnia and background noises never made the situation better.


    Zion shrugged his shoulders and started pulling the pillows off the bed, "I believe the worst I could do is moan while I''m asleep, but that''s better than snoring, right?"


    My cheeks instantly turned bright red, which earned me another fit ofughter from Zion. He actually held his stomach and doubled over. "Please, don''t tell me you''re a virgin and your reaction is like that just because I caught you off guard."


    I bit my lip and started shifting my weight from one leg to another. My palms were getting sweaty and my heart beat so fast, I could hear the pounding in my ears.


    Theck of response killed any amusement Zion felt. His eyes widened and he hurried to me, grabbing my shoulders to shake me. "Aife, use your words. Are you?"


    He looked a little panicked. But why? Was it really such a big deal that some women didn''t sleep around like others did?


    That would be so unfair. I never judged everyone''s else''s life choices, especially private matters, so why would someone do that to me? But then again, Zion didn''t look like he was judging me. He was worried.


    "Fine," I whispered. "I''m a virgin, okay. I haven''t had a boyfriend like... ever. Please, don''tugh at me, it''s not funny."


    Zion looked like a bug as his eyes nearly popped out of the sockets. The initial shock wore down and then, it was reced by burning rage.


    He released me and started backing away, muttering, "I''m going to kill that fucking asshole, I''m going to kill him," over and over again.


    "Stop," I raised my hand. "What on Earth are you so angry about? Can you guys stop being so darn mysterious and just tell me what''s wrong? I don''t see a big deal about this, so neither should you. And besides, it''s no one''s business if I had slept with anyone or not. It''s my private life, Zion."


    I kept my voice low, calm and collected, just to get my point across. Zion, Bane, and the rest of the pack had to learn that they weren''t entitled to everyone''s life stories.


    "No," Zion raised his voice. "You don''t understand!"


    "Don''t understand, what? Help me figure it out, give me a little more information?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest.


    Zion ran his hand through his hair a couple of times, sat on his bed and sighed. "Bane wanted you in one of the empty rooms near the servants. It''s a part of the house everyone has ess to. You''re a virgin, Aife," he slowly raised his gaze to meet mine and gulped. "Men here, I would trust them with my life, but they are unpredictable. Especially to outsiders. And you are an outsider, Aife. A woman and a virgin, at that. The moment you''re out of Bane''s room, you are considered fair game here."

 63: Who hurt you?

    **Aife


    pov**


    After the not-so-pleasant conversation I had with Zion, we both got lost in our thoughts as we got ready to finally get some sleep.


    Zion was kind enough to offer me his shirt and a pair of older sweatpants, seeing how ufortable I was still wearing Bane''s shirt. It wasn''t that I didn''t like it or the fabric was wrong, it was Bane''s scent.


    Maybe I was overreacting, but he hurt me and then tossed me out like an old, torn-up stic bag, and that hurt more than the p did. As I sat on the couch, which Zion moved closer to the bed, he flicked through the channels until something caught my eye.


    "Stop. Can we watch this?" I asked, a little too eager to sound like I was twenty years old.


    "Lion King?" Zion furrowed his eyebrows.


    "Yes, please. It''s been years since I saw it and I have really wanted to see it again, but-" I cut myself off.


    Once again, I was overexining myself. I didn''t have to give so many details, a simple nod or ''yes'' would be enough for Zion.


    He set the remote aside and watched me as I gotfortable.


    The movie was just as good and heartbreaking as I remembered it. As the great lion died, tears streamed down my cheeks, but deep down, I knew I wasn''t crying just because of the movie.


    "Who hurt you? And I don''t mean Bane. Before him..." Zion muttered the questions and rolled over to look at me. "You can tell me, Aife. I''m probably the only person in this house right now who wants to be your friend. Just a friend, not someone with an ulterior motive. Who hurt you, sweetheart?"


    His words cut deep. Not only because it had been so long since thest time I heard someone have so much concern for me, but the nickname did it.


    I started crying like a baby, huping and barely sucking any breath. Sometimes, when things were piled up, it was only a matter of time when the person would break. But me, I wasn''t allowed to break. I had to be perfect.


    Zion slid from under the covers and sat on the couch next to me. He didn''t speak as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close.


    This silent attempt tofort me did it. This was my breaking point.


    "I-it''s so u-unfair," I huped as I tried to speak.


    Zion started running his hand through my hair. "Shhh, it''s fine, princess. It''s fine. Everything will be alright, I promise. Now you have me. I''m your friend and you are mine. And friends stick together. You hear me, Aife? Friends have each other''s backs. Always."


    I nodded my head, unable to form a word. This was nice. Someone went above and beyond to ensure I would calm down and wouldn''t be hurting.


    I had no intentions to tell Zion more about my past, so he would never find out that it was impossible to take the hurt away, but maybe with his help, I could learn how to forget.


    Never in my life had I wanted to have a person who could be my happiness source. I saw that as being selfish and unable to be at peace with myself. But now, Zion was the ray of sunshine that I clung to like my life depended on it.


    By the time the movie ended, I still sniffled, but I felt way better. Crying helped ease the tension and released some of the negativity that had rooted itself within me.


    Eventually, Zion returned to his bed and we wished each other good night. Except, neither of us could sleep. I did my best to pretend that I fell asleep, for Zion''s sake, and that was the only reason why I knew he left the room.


    He didn''t leave a note or warn me about leaving, he just left.


    Although I didn''t want to believe it, there was a chance that deep down, Zion was the same as everyone else. They all left when it got a little too hard to deal with me.


    Sitting up on the couch, I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged my legs. I didn''t know what I needed now, so maybe having some space was good.


    Was it bad that there was a tiny part in me that was d I got away? I had nned to leave my father''s pack for years, but every time I got close to leaving, he figured it out and did everything to keep me at his side.


    Usually, he manipted me by using his poor health. He wasn''t a bad dad, great either, but he was my dad, so obviously I worried about him.


    As my thoughts sent me back to the past, I didn''t notice how the night slowly went by until the sun shone through the curtains. No Zion still. Where had he gone?


    My body was stiff, so I decided to take a quick shower to feel a little better. I was sure Zion wouldn''t mind and if I locked the door, no one could enter either.


    First, I grabbed one of his shirts and then ran to the bathroom. I showered, changed into the clean shirt and made myself somewhat presentable.


    Walking back in the bedroom, I noticed that Zion was still gone. I knew better than to take the risk, but if my newfound friend had gotten into trouble, I didn''t want to leave him dealing with it alone.


    I snuck out of the bedroom and wandered around the long halls until an eternityter, I finally found the staircase. Just as I stepped on the first step, a loud crash came from downstairs, followed with a growl so powerful, it shook the windows. Bane. It had to be Bane. No one other could possess that much animalistic power.


    My knees shook as I slowly kept walking down the stairs. Whatever was happening had to be bad, and if Zion wasn''t around to take care of the situation, I feared someone might get seriously hurt.


    As if on cue, right when the damn thought crossed my mind, a loud scream tore through the building and someone was thrown into the lobby.


    My eyes widened as I nced at the man, who kept screaming in pain. His body was covered in blood and w marks, I could see bones poking out of the deep wounds.


    Then, I saw him. The beast himself stalked towards the man. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you that you''re not allowed to enter the office without knocking? Who even let you in here? Who the fuck had the gall to tell you that you''re allowed inside the house and my territory?" Bane snarled.


    My hand gripped the railing so tightly, my knuckles turned white. I couldn''t move, couldn''t tear my gaze away from the horror happening before me.


    I wanted to scream at him to stop, to call Zion for help, but every time I opened my mouth, I couldn''t force out even a sound.


    Tears stung my eyes as Bane kicked the poor man, ignoring the cries of pain and pleas to stop. It was a truly terrifying view, one I much rather would never see, but I didn''t have a choice. Not anymore.


    As soon as the tears started rolling down my cheeks, the victim''s eyes focused on me. To my surprise, he didn''t scream, beg or cry anymore. Instead, he smiled. Grinned, actually.


    After two more kicks to the man''s ribs, Bane noticed that something had changed. He stood next to the man, breathing heavily, and then, his eyes followed the direction of his victim''s gaze.


    Whoever looked at me, it wasn''t Bane. It wasn''t the Bane who killed my family, it wasn''t the Bane who ridiculed me, the one who punished me for nothing, and definitely not the Bane who had treated me so kindly for a couple of hours.


    And now that he was looking at me, my body unfroze. I spun around and bolted up the stairs as he called after me. I didn''t dare to look back or stop. I had to find a way out of here, because I was next on his list - the next person on that floor, broken, shattered and bloody will be me.


    I almost reached Zion''s room when an arm snuck around my waist as someone lifted me. "Got you."

 64: I think it’s time.

    **Kayson pov**


    Ever since that moron came to visit Killian and dropped some pieces of information, which by the way I thought were absolute bullshit, made-up scenarios, he had been restless. Killian was adamant Bane had his fiancee. It didn''t matter how many times I repeated it couldn''t be true since we had our people in territory and neither mentioned her. But of course, it was easier to convince a mule he could drink a river dry than p some sense in my friend.


    "Kayson, where the hell are you?" Killian called from his office.


    The door was left ajar, as always. I remembered when he first started doing it, just to annoy me.


    Killian loved bringing in girls and making sure the entire pack house would hear them get at it like rabbits.


    But these days, it was a force of habit, even during important meetings.


    Slowly, I strode towards his office and knocked once I reached the door.


    "You don''t have to knock,e in," he called.


    I slipped inside the office and shrugged. "It''s a force of habit. So, what''s up?"


    Trying to sound like nothing bothered me wasn''t something I was exactly good at. In fact, I was a shitty liar and failed more attempts to cover someone up than I seeded.


    "I think it''s time. Sit down so we can talk," Killian removed his reading sses and rubbed his hand down his face.


    He was tired, overworked, overstressed, and all in all, in a bad state. If he thought this was the time for him to leave the pack and chase a ghost, he was absolutely wrong. Sadly, I doubted he would ever listen to me. "Time for what?" I asked, sounding like an absolute fool.


    Killian groaned and shot me a re. "You know what. Why are you ying these games again? We have been through and over this plenty of times, you damn well know what I''m talking about."


    Instead of answering, I just shrugged my shoulders. If Killian needed something, he had to ask for it, not y the games of secrets and mysteries as he often did.


    "I think our allies aren''t as loyal as they im they are. I haven''t seen a report for five weeks, and thest one I received basically has two sentences that read like they were written by a five-year old."


    I arched an eyebrow at him. "Give me a tad bit more information, will you?"


    Killian stood from his seat and started pacing the office. "Alright. When I first sent the allies into his territory to rat him out, I got solid reports every week, sometimes even more often. The thing is that I know that fuckhead. He''s always up to something. Bane doesn''t know how to stop."


    I nodded to let him know I was listening.


    "But now, five weeks with no reports. Five weeks. There''s no way they think I could believe that someone, who stirs shit up every day of his life has suddenly calmed down. Out of nowhere, boom, a changed man," Killian raised his voice and threw his hands in the ari.


    I wasn''t sure about the sanity of my friend anymore. Killian almost sounded like he didn''t want Bane to settle.


    Bane''s doings had always annoyed Killian. Always. Every time Bane did something, Killian was on his ass, judging and poking his nose in. For years, he imed he did it to stop Bane and show the man what he did was wrong. But now? Killian got what he wanted, Bane stopped, and Killian still wasn''t happy?


    "Let me get this straight," I started, a little vary so as to not piss him off even more. "You wanted him to change, right? He did, and now you''re unhappy that you got what you wanted? It makes little to no sense."


    Killian''s face twisted in disgust. I was sure he was about to fly off the hinges and give me the verbal beating of my lifetime, but instead, he closed his eyes and started breathing.


    What kind of voodoo magic breathing exercises were these? I had never seen him keep his cool like this. As much as I hated admitting this, my best friend was kind of mental.


    He went around ming Alpha Bane for everything, yet he wasn''t any better. The difference between them was that Bane did everything himself while Killian had people who did dirty work for him. Comparing those two - they weren''t so different after all.


    Also, although I didn''t like the man, Bane was more level-headed. As awful as he was as a person, he knew how to keep his cool and more often than not kept his cool. Killian struggled with that.


    "It doesn''t matter. Bane doesn''t matter either. That man is nothing, he is worth the dirt under my shoe soles and that''s that. What matters is who he''s holding hidden from me. I know he has her. I can feel it. And theck of reports proves my suspicions." He kept talking while I just sat back and watched him.


    The difference between Killian before that rat arrived and him now was astounding. He wasn''t himself anymore. It fucking sucked, but I was pretty damn sure my best friend was losing his mind.


    And for what? A girl? Seriously, as much as I loved my amazing wife, I wouldn''t act like this - ever. Especially if I was in Killian''s ce, stuck with an unfinished arranged marriage to someone I had never met in person.


    All Killian knew were some things about the girl. He had never seen her, even in photos. Funny, wasn''t it? He agreed to marry someone and pay insane money for the chance to do so without even getting a nce of his future wife. If that wasn''t mental, I didn''t know what it was.


    "What are you nning?" I muttered the question and ran my hand through my hair. Killian didn''t pay me any attention, acting as if his thoughts were more important than any word I could speak, so I repeated myself. "What are you nning, Killian?"


    Now, I had his attention. His eyes narrowed in on me and the next moment, his whole demeanor, along with his aura, changedpletely.


    Suddenly, he was all smiles, excitement and unicorn farts. He practically bounced on his heels in happiness.


    My eyes didn''t leave him for a second as Killian sat down and leaned over the desk to get closer to me. "We are leaving tonight. If nothing holds us back, we will get there by the sunrise. They will be asleep, little to no guards at the borders and I doubt anyone will have enough time to alert their alcoholic of an Alpha before we get to the house."


    ¡°Wait, you''re saying-" I cut myself off. No, it couldn''t be that Killian would stoop so low.


    And yet, as always, he found a way to surprise me. Killian nodded his head eagerly and grinned at me, "we''re going to get her."


    I shot to my feet so fast, the chair fell backwards. "That''s kidnapping! Even if she''s really there, the deal never happened and you actually don''t have any im on her. There are no signatures on that bloody piece of paper, Killian. You''re nning tomit a crime!"


    "Oh, but there are," Killian pulled a document out of his desk drawer and slid it across the desk for me to see. That... That wasn''t his signature. I had seen the signature of Alpha Lucian and this wasn''t it. Killian had forged a legal document, this was a damn crime! "And besides, we''re not kidnapping her or doing anything illegal. We''re just stealing back what was stolen from me to begin with."

 65: Do you want me to go?

    **Aife


    pov**


    First, he spun me around and then, Bane forced my body against the wall, grabbing and pinning both of my hands above my head.


    My heart hammered in my chest as his eyes bore into mine. It still wasn''t him. It wasn''t Bane, I knew it wasn''t.


    What convinced me even more was the moment when his lips covered mine.


    I squeezed my eyes shut and held my breath, willing myself to shut off and wait until he was done with whatever he was nning.


    Bane slowly covered both of my wrists with only one of his hands as his lips briefly left mine, enough for him to whisper, "I know you hate this, but pretend that you don''t. Pretend you''re enjoying this, we''re being watched, and unless you want to be taken by someone far worse than me, listen to me."


    I nodded. Weakly, but enough for him to feel.


    "Wrap your arms around my neck and jump up to wrap your legs around my hips. I will carry you to a safer room. It will look like I''m taking you to a more private ce. I already have security set at the room door, you''ll be safe there." He muttered and mmed his lips back on mine.


    I did as I was told, tossing my arms around his neck and jumping on him. With every movement of his lips against mine, my heart hammered in my chest faster.


    I found myself melting against him. It didn''t matter that Bane was covered in blood and didn''t act or look like himself. All that mattered were his lips against mine.


    As he carried me somewhere, I got so lost into the sensation that I gave it a go myself. Slowly, unaware of if I was doing it right, I mirrored his actions and kissed him back. Bane broke the kiss long enough to bark at someone, "move out of my goddamn way and open the door."


    I couldn''t see what was happening around us anymore. I was scared out of my mind, and the excitement that was added by Bane did nothing but cloud my mind even more.


    He carried me inside the room and the door behind us closed. But unlike what I expected him to do, he didn''t let me back on my feet.


    The opposite happened. Bane''s grip on my butt tightened as he forced my back against the wall, pressing his body tightly against mine.


    My breath hitched as his eyes bore into mine. "Fuck it, might as well have some fun while we''re at it," he muttered and covered my mouth with his.


    As his tongue darted inside my mouth, I let my fingers slide into his hair and gave in. I had never really been kissed, so in a way, Bane was showing me what I missed out on.


    It was a weird sensation, foreign, yet weed. And the more he kissed me, the more aggressive he became, the hotter my body burned. At one point, a moan escaped me - a sound I didn''t know I was capable of creating. When he broke the kiss, we were panting for breaths, clinging to each other like our lives depended on it.


    "Not letting him have you," Bane muttered as he slowly let me back to my feet and backed away, shaking his head. "No. Won''t happen," he added.


    And once again, my heart skipped a beat. Something about Bane''s determination was so endearing that I couldn''t believe I was actually enjoying it.


    But then, I saw it. As I slowly came back to my senses I noticed how uneven he was, how Bane swayed from side to side and how he slurred his speech. Plus, the bitter aftertaste of alcohol that got stuck in my throat was a real wake up call. The man that stood before me wasn''t acting dumb on his heightened emotions, he was drunk. That was the answer, Bane acted out of character because he had had too many drinks.


    How sick was it that I felt disappointed? Ever since he brought me here, I had tried to find a way to get out. I kept reminding myself over and over again that Bane was a killer, the man ughtered my family and pack, he kept going above and beyond to hurt me, and yet I foolishly believed he could change?


    For what? For me? Yeah, that had to be the most delusional and stupid idea that had ever invaded my mind. Impossible.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I hid the storm that raged inside me. "Are you staying with me here or do you need to leave?" I tried my best to sound emotionless when I questioned him.


    Bane furrowed his brows. "Why would I leave you here alone? Do you want me to go? Or maybe you got your sights on one of the guards at the door? Are you that eager to exchange my sorry ass for someone else this soon?" His voice grew increasingly louder as Bane threw usations at me.


    I stood frozen and took it. If he really needed to give me a verbalshing, he had the right to give me one and I didn''t mind it either. In fact, I needed it. Every time my stupid mind would try to dip toes into forbidden territory, I would remember this moment.


    "Answer me!" Bane screamed.


    I let my gaze fall to my feet and spoke. "You took me here for a reason. You said it yourself that someone is here and you have to take me to a safer room. That''s why I asked if you are staying." "Son of a mother loving tractor of a whore!" Bane hissed. "I forgot."


    The tension in the room was so thick, anyone could enter and they would have to cut it with a knife to get to us. It felt like hours passed as Bane did nothing but stare at me. Until he didn''t.


    No words, no warnings, no actions - nothing. He just walked to the door, opened it, and slid out like nothing happened.


    It was unreasonable to feel this way, but I did. I felt like Bane let me down even though there were no promises given prior to him, leaving me here. In a way, I felt vited, despite the fact that I enjoyed what we did at least at one point of the process.


    My mind was all over the ce, my heart wouldn''t stop attempting to escape my ribcage and my life was an actual shitshow, to say the least.


    How did I get myself in this mess was beyond me. Funny how I never tried to get here in the first ce, but somehow, my actions brought me here.


    The Moon Goddess had to have a n for me, she had one for everyone. Sadly, I had to learn how to ept that her n for me most likely was torture. After all, everything happened for a reason.

 66: So stupidly happy.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Not long after Bane left me, Zion came to take me back to his room. The guards followed and remained at the door, but Zion imed it was safer for me if someone was around. Or at least that was what Bane had told him.


    "Why am I being hidden?" I asked God what time. The same question left my lips multiple times and every time, Zion ignored me.


    "It''s not important for now," he muttered, moving the curtain and ncing outside.


    Bane''s insane mood swings weren''t the only thing that worried me. Zion was acting suspicious too.


    "I think it is important if I have to be hidden away. What''s going on?" I pressed the issue, hell-bent on finding out the truth.


    Slowly, Zion backed away from the window and sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his body a little, as if trying to rid himself of built-up tension.


    "It''s not my ce tell you anything. Can we discuss thister, right around when Bane will give me the green light to tell you?"


    I scoffed. "Since when do you wait for the green light from Bane? Don''t get me wrong, but ever since I met you, I never thought of you as someone who needed Bane to tell you what you can or can''t do."


    He tried to pin me down with his gaze, but I just crossed my arms in front of my chest and ignored his attempt. "You do realize I am Alpha blood, right? You''re a Beta, I''m sure a wonderful one, but you can''t intimidate me."


    "Okay, whatever," Zion muttered and turned his back on me.


    I didn''t want him to shut down on me. That would be unfair. And it wasn''t like I was asking for too much, only the truth.


    "So you won''t tell me what is going on, right?" I arched an eyebrow.


    There wasn''t even a single bone in my body that wanted to drop this. The truth was that all of them have tossed me around like some stupid toy for too long.


    Bane''s hot and cold attitude was really getting to me and Zion, well, as kind as he was, he kept throwing me pieces of information without giving the important parts. It almost felt like he did it on purpose.


    Knowledge that was meant for everyone was easily given to me, but once there were some shady things, directly connected to me, Zion acted as if I wasn''t allowed to know.


    His lips were sealed, back turned to me, and unfortunately, I couldn''t see his face, so I couldn''t read the expression either.


    Running my hand through my hair, I decided to approach the issue from a different angle. "Listen, I will stop asking questions about why I''m being hidden away, but that doesn''t mean I will stop asking questions for good. In fact, I have another thing I would like to know."


    That caught Zion''s attention. Slowly, he turned around and faced me, raising his eyebrow in a silent question.


    I sucked in a breath to ground myself. "Alright. I want to know what''s the deal with Bane. You two seem to be very close, I''m certain you know what''s going on."


    Zion took a step closer to me. "What''s the deal with Bane? Care to exin what exactly you are talking about here? I can''t read your mind, sorry."


    "His attitude. Hot and cold."


    Zion just stared at me until I rolled my eyes and exined more. "One moment he ughters my family and pack, acts like aplete lunatic and keeps hurting me, just to turn around the other moment and im no one can touch me. Then, the whole ordeal starts all over again, same shit, but when he turns the other cheek, suddenly he has to treat me better. Empty promises after empty promises. And once he starts treating me better, guess what? Boom, he throws me out like trash, well aware I would get really hurt if it weren''t for you taking me to your room. And then there''s what just happened, he-"


    I cut myself off. My eyes widened as the realization sunk in. I was just about to tell Zion that Bane and I kissed. No one was supposed to know that. Except for the guards since they saw everything.


    "And then, he?" Zion muttered, expecting me to keep talking.


    "Thest part doesn''t matter. You got enough from the picture with what I already told you. So, what''s his deal?"


    My father used to tell me that knowing an enemy was the best thing that could happen to anyone. The more you knew about someone, who wished you harm, the easier it was to predict the next move and get away unharmed. "I will tell you if you tell me what you''re hiding," Zion announced, grinning like a lunatic.


    "Not fair. I told you way more than you have told me. Let''s be clear with one thing - it''s extremely unfair that you get to withhold so much information, yet I don''t have the same benefit."


    A throatyugh escaped him. Zion looked more amused than people at theedy show.


    He walked to me, sat down and threw his arm around my shoulders to pull me closer to him. "Yeah, I have a benefit because I know way more than you do. It''s only fair that I can choose what I tell you or don''t. Now, decide if you want to tell me what I want to know, and in return, I might award you with some answers."


    Dropping my gaze to my feet, I gripped the covers on Zion''s bed and closed my eyes, "Bane kissed me. I kissed him back. And then, he told me he wouldn''t let me leave just to get angry at me for no reason. He thought I wanted to go with one of the guards. I don''t know, all of this is too confusing to follow."


    Zion started tough again. It was a little odd how I could tell what he felt based on how hisughter sounded, but I would take it as a sign that we were friends.


    He sounded happy, excited even. It was nice if I took away the fact that I couldn''t understand what exactly made him feel so happy.


    Once he calmed down, Zion wiped tears off his cheeks and breathed loudly until his breathing didn''t sound like that of a heaving seal. "Okay, this information is gold," he muttered, squeezing my shoulder. "I''m so stupidly happy, you have no idea."


    I red at him. Not once had I told Zion that I wanted to know if he was happy, especially while we were talking about Bane.


    And besides, I didn''t appreciate himughing about me, telling him some things about my first real kiss experience. Sure, he didn''t know how much it meant for me, but at least he could try to be a little more low-key. Couldn''t he see how embarrassed I was?


    "Will you tell me something or not?" I muttered, growing a little irritated.


    "Oh, yeah," he chuckled and jumped to his feet. Zion made a show of walking around the room and channeling his thoughts. Looked more like he was channeling his inner demons, but this wasn''t the moment to bring that up. When he finally stopped, Zion''s eyes focused on me. "Have you ever heard anything about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"


    How that was relevant in this situation was beyond me, but I still yed around. "Yeah, it''s like a fantasy tale, I think? There was something about two people in one body, good and bad, I suppose? I''ve heard some stories, but haven''t really paid much attention to it."


    The corner of Zion''s mouth twitched as he wiggled his eyebrows and walked towards the door. "Well, maybe it''s about time you start doing some research. You have the clue you need to find your answers, so take your time. Feel free to use myptop, the guards stay, but I''ll head downstairs to fetch us some snacks."

 67: Too bad I can’t have you.

    **Aife


    pov**


    While I didn''t think the attitude was fair, I still followed Zion''s advice on doing some research. If he wouldn''t give me the answers, I would figure everything out without his help. Except, I didn''t instantly jump to researching what he mentioned.


    Instead, I tried to find some information about Bane. In general, it was pretty vague. Some articles about his worth and supposed war with Killian.


    There wasn''t information about past rtionships, upation or other drama that the press loved to cover. If I wouldn''t have found the little information I did, I would assume Bane was pretty non-existent in the eyes of the public. Scrolling through pages after pages and finding nothing, I almost gave up looking. Until I found something...


    A photo of Bane and a woman at his side. Oddly enough, there wasn''t a date attached to the article, but he looked a lot younger there, so it had to be years ago.


    The woman looked familiar. The longer I stared at the photo, the more I felt like I had seen her. And maybe I had, portrayed in the paintings with missing faces, but that wasn''t quite it. I felt like I knew her...


    But from where? And how?


    Just as those questions invaded my mind, Zion returned. He was holding a bowl of popcorn and a bottle of soda.


    Unlike everyone else I had known, he didn''t bother looking at the screen as I was closing the tabs. Maybe it was because he knew he could check the history or maybe he simply didn''t care at all.


    "Found everything you needed?" He asked as he set the bowl on the bed and reached for the TV remote.


    "Almost. I still can''t connect some dots even with the hint you gave me. Is it that Bane and his wolf keep shing with each other and that''s why he acts like an ass one moment and the sweetest person even the next?"


    In a way, my assumption made sense. While plenty of shifters had amazing rtionships with their inner beasts, just as many couldn''t findmon grounds.


    So, perhaps, Bane and his wolf really had an issue with each other.


    Zion chuckled. "I don''t know what you were looking at, but your ideas definitely aren''t true. Try again, sweetheart."


    I red at him. "How do you expect me to figure something out if you offer the stupidest hint ever and the only logical exnation isn''t even right, then?"


    He shrugged,pletely unbothered. "No idea, but it''s also none of my problem. See, I have you a hint which already is too much. It''s not my ce to tell you secrets that aren''t mine to begin with. Now, are you watching movies with me or sulking in the background?"


    "Watching," I muttered and walked to his bed to sit down.


    Maybe having some distraction will help me rx. Of all the people in this pack, me including, Zion was the only one I wanted to spend time with.


    Although very annoying, he still acted like my friend, not an enemy.


    He chose a cheesy romance movie and at one point, we both found ourselvesughing at the cliche storyline and throwing bits of popcorn at the screen.


    When the first movie ended, the next one started and the cycle kept repeating until we realized howte it was getting. I hadn''t eaten anything but popcorn for the entire day.


    "I''ll make you some sandwiches. And don''tin, I have a killer recipe for those," Zionughed and once again, let me alone in his room.


    I hated that I wasn''t allowed to leave the bedroom while he could roam around freely. And even more, I hated that I didn''t know why I couldn''t go with him.


    Sitting back and waiting had to be the biggest waste of time.


    By the time another movie ended, Zion still hadn''t returned. At least forty minutes had passed since he left, so I wondered if I could try to sneak out of the room to check on him or if I had to stay put.


    My eyes didn''t leave the silly-looking clock on the wall as the time clicked by. A minute, two, five, ten, and then, twenty. I had enough of waiting. An hour for a sandwich? Yeah, that was too much.


    As quietly as I could, I tip-toed to the bedroom door. To my great displeasure, I could clearly hear the guards discussing a football game on the other side of the door.


    Since they hadn''t left, I couldn''t just sneak out. I could try the window, but that would be in stupid. Jumping out of the window meant getting hurt and finding myself in more trouble.


    I was annoyed, angry, cranky and hungry. Since it didn''t look like Zion could return anytime soon, who knew he could have been given some surprise task to do, I grabbed another of his shirts and went to the bathroom. *"Shower it is then. I can sleep on an empty stomach."*


    Cold shower helped me rx and clear my thoughts a little. Surprisingly, I didn''t feel as hungry anymore either, but that could be because I might have gotten to the feeling already.


    Wouldn''t be the first time I got used to constant hunger.


    When I left the bathroom, I checked the clock again. Another thirty minutes and no sight of Zion in the bedroom.


    Dropping the hope of seeing him before I sleep, I tossed an extra pillow on the couch,id down and made myselffortable.


    A new movie started in the background, the TV screen illuminated the bedroom and made it look almost like a fairytale setting. One from those bad romance movies about lovers, watching something together. Except I was alone. And I had no lovers to sit at my side, watching that nonsense. I didn''t even have a friend since he left to do God knew what. Laying on the couch, I realized just how alone and lonely I felt. If I had my wolf, at least there could be a voiceing from the back of my mind.


    I had heard many say that voice was an annoying addition, but I wholeheartedly believed that they didn''t appreciate it because they had it.


    For the most part, everyone appreciated what they didn''t have more. Especially something they took for granted until it was gone.


    After a while I spent turning on the couch, I finally felt my eyelids grow heavy. A part of me wanted to fight off the sleep, but the other weed.


    Closing my eyes, I tried to wipe my mind clear of thoughts and assumptions that didn''t let me rest.


    By the time I was finally dazing off, the bedroom door opened. I knew it had to be Zion, finally returning from whatever he was doing.


    The only thing that confused me was the warm, gentle hand on my cheek and the voice that followed, I couldn''t recognize it as it whispered, "so beautiful. Too bad I can''t have you. I wouldn''t forgive myself if I ever tried."

 68: You’re a flight risk.

    **Aife


    pov**


    They were avoiding me.


    Okay, I knew I sounded crazy when I made such ims, but I swear, they were avoiding me.


    Both Bane and Zion. I hadn''t seen Bane since that time when he beat up that man in front of my eyes and Zion since he left to make me that sandwich.


    *Must be one hell of a good sandwich, if making it takes days.*


    And the rest of the pack members? Well, they weren''t any different.


    It had been days since the morning after Zion left. I was woken up by a guard who walked me to another room. I found some clothing on the bed, but none came from Bane''s house. Although the guard wasn''t very chatty, he told me I was safe since men in the house knew I was off-limits and they didn''t have permission to do as much as look at me.


    Then, he told me I would be getting daily tasks to ensure I wouldn''t get bored. At first, I was happy. I hoped to see the girls from the rejects housings. But I never did.


    Maybe it was a part of a n to iste me, maybe not, but it sure did feel like one. Somehow, the timestamps and tasks were aligned perfectly to keep me out of everyone''s way. At this point, I felt like I was a ghost, roaming, following scents that were fading.


    Loneliness never really seemed like an issue until now. It wasughable how passionately I wanted to get out of Bane''s pack and still doubted if it was the best idea. Where would I go? There wasn''t a ''home'' for me anymore, no ce to return to or look forward to seeing again.


    So, after days of social istion, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I woke up around 5am and stood at the door, waiting.


    About an hour into waiting, I started growing impatient. Thankfully, for once, the Gods were on my side. I heard steps in the distance, nearing the end of the hall where my room was.


    Just as I thought the person was leaning down to sneak another note under my door, I opened the door and hissed, "stop!"


    I realized I knew the silent messenger only after he looked up at me and offered me a stupid smile. Zion.


    "What on Earth are you doing? Why do you keep avoiding me? What have I done to end up pretty much isted from the rest of the world? Do you and your sicko of a friend even understand how twisted this all is? Why kidnap me and then avoid me like a gue? I''m clearly unwanted here, can I leave yet?"


    There were more questions I wanted to ask, but I knew it was better to start with a little part and then, slowly move to the others as Zion would answer. If he would, of course.


    My eyes didn''t leave the traitor as he stood to his full height and again, gave me that stupid smile. "I''m sorry, I''m just followingmands. I know you already said you don''t take me for someone who does, but it''s not like I can t-out ignore an Alphamand. He used it against me. It actually hurts like a bitch to stand here and talk to you."


    Perhaps I was too trusting and naive, but by the looks of it, Zion could be in pain. His face twisted in weird expressions at moments, which I assumed might be caused by that.


    Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I tapped my foot against the floor. "I''ll let you leave and go on with your perfect life once you tell me what is going on. I''ve gotten more than enough of Bane''s hot and cold bullshit, your mysteries and the odd looks from your pack. I''m done. I want out."


    Zion''s eyes widened as he raised his hands in surrender, shook his head, and slowly backed away. "I could have given you answers if only you didn''t mention getting out of here. I can''t stand close to you anymore, and although I really will hate myself for this, as per hismand, I must tell Bane what you told me. You''re a flight risk now."


    "And you''re supposed to be my friend!" I raised my voice as he kept backing away.


    "You don''t understand. He is no regr Alpha and this pack isn''t your regr glitter and sparkles bullshit of a pack. You have no damn idea. I want to be your friend, but I can''t betray my Alpha. I wish I could remain on your side." "Why do you keep turning my life into a confusing drama movie? Haven''t I suffered enough? Where will Bane draw the goddamn line? I''m so sick of being abused, mistreated, led on,pletely iced out, lied to, and damn it, the list goes on!" The words left me in a hiss as tears burned in my eyes.


    Just as Zion was about to open his mouth, from the corner of my eye, I noticed someone rounding the corner and walking in our direction.


    If I was half as brave as I truly wanted to be, I would stand my ground and wait for what was about to happen. But I wasn''t. Instead of facing whatever life tossed at me, I chose the safest way out, stepped back in the bedroom and mmed the door shut.


    Just in case, I locked the door to keep them all out of the room.


    As expected, a momentter, there was a knock on my door. I ignored whoever it was. Zion wouldn''te back, that much was clear, so it couldn''t be anyone but Bane. Given how he forbade everyone else from talking to me. No words were spoken while the knocking soon turned into loud, aggressive pounding.


    "Go away!" I shouted as I got back in the bed and pulled the covers over my body. I actually pulled them over my head too, hiding from the world.


    It was a thing I had done ever since I was a child - for as long as I was hidden under the covers, no monsters were strong enough to get to me.


    When Bane first brought me here, I really wanted my birthday toe sooner just so I could meet my wolf and escape this ce. But now? Ha, now, I had no idea what day it was, let alone the date. "Open the door!" His voice finally sounded while he kept pounding at the door.


    "No," I whispered.


    I was angry, pissed off beyond limits, but still couldn''t find the strength within myself to scream at Bane too. He wanted to stay away from me, he might as well keep up with the act and leave me be. "Open the goddamn door before I lose my patience. I''m not joking around anymore, open the damn door, Aife!" Bane growled.


    My breath hitched. Did he seriously just say my name? I had a suspicion he hadn''t forgotten, but up to this moment, Bane kept addressing me as reject or did everything in his power not to use any name at all.


    As I slowly slipped out from under the covers and stood up, my knees nearly gave out from under me. The violent pounding was starting to give me a headache, and for some reason, I found it difficult to walk closer to the door.


    I had no idea what Bane wanted from me this time. All that avoiding and isting me at all costs didn''t make any sense if he decided to break his own decision and show up without a reason.


    I managed to take two steps closer to the door, but there was no need to unlock it anymore. Bane kicked the door open, breaking the doorframe in process, and scanned the room.


    His face was red, rage burned in his eyes. In fact, he was so angry, steam might have beening from his ears as he fumed.


    Then, his eyes stopped on me. Everything within me screamed to hide away from him, but I couldn''t move. Not because of fear. It was worry that held me back.


    Bane looked like shit. I hated topare people to that word, but in this situation, it was the most urate one. He had dark circles under his eyes, his hair was messy, clothes looked dirty and in general, he looked like he hadn''t slept for weeks.


    I noticed that he was stalking closer to me, but when he stopped in front of me and grabbed the back of my neck, it was toote to react when his lips came crashing down on mine.

 69: Your sorries won’t cut it.

    **Aife


    pov**


    My heart stopped for a moment. Everything faded until there was nothing left.


    Nothing but Bane, holding me as if I was his lifeline.


    And worst of all, despite the anger and hatred I felt - I kissed him back. My hands found their way in his hair and tugged on it as my lips nearly attacked his. I wanted him to feel what I was feeling all this time, and if a kiss was the only way to p some sense in this man, I had to take my chances.


    So, I forced all the frustration, anger, pain, and every negative emotion I had into the kiss. It was a little too heated for my liking, but nevertheless impressive. Until I tried to pull away. Bane refused to loosen his hold around me or pull his lips away from mine, so I did what any reasonable person would - I bit his lip. Hard. With a loud hiss, he finally stepped away. Bane held a hand over his mouth, cursing under his breath.


    When he remembered where he was, Bane dropped his hand and head in shame. "I''m sorry," he muttered.


    Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I huffed. I had tried my best to be the obedient worm he wanted me to be, but I had enough.


    He sought submission and that didn''t work in my favor, so now, he would have to face the stubborn me. The ''me'' I liked to be the most.


    "Your sorries won''t cut it. I''m sure you''re not used to apologizing to anyone, but that still won''t do it. What the hell is wrong with you? Since you have clearly forbidden Zion from answering my questions, you''ll have to do it yourself. Now, tell me why am I still here if you''re clearly not nning to sell me for your benefit, but you''re also hell-bent on ignoring me?"


    Bane''s eyes widened. I knew he didn''t expect me to fight back, but clearly, he didn''t think of me as someone who would question his motives and call him out.


    In a state ofplete shock, he tried to back away, to create more distance between us, but I couldn''t allow it. If Bane got close enough to the door, he would be the flight risk Zion painted me out to be.


    "No," I said and shook my head. "No more running, you''ve done enough. Out of us two, I should be the one who''s running and avoiding you, not the other way around."


    At times, I hated how much I felt for others, especially when they were sad. Like Bane was now.


    For some reason, he wore an expression I couldn''t quite describe, but sadness and hurt radiated off him in waves at the same time.


    I felt like he fought a battle with himself more than he did with others. But why?


    Why was he holding himself back from stating the facts and letting others help him? Why all that secrecy and confusing behavior?


    The hot and cold attitude was one thing, but ever since Zion threw that ''hint'' at me, I couldn''t stop thinking about it. Although I didn''t have direct ess to aputer in this room, I snuck into the library the other night and found the book. Dr. Jekyll was the nice personality while Mr. Hyde was the evil alter-ego. It made sense, especially looking at how Bane behaved, I still wanted to know why it was so hard for him toe clean.


    There were far too many questions running through my head to grab one and demand answers, so I remained silent, nkly staring at Bane.


    He started shifting his weight from one leg to another and opened his mouth, but no words came out. Every time his lips parted without a sound passing them, he looked like he was in pain. And then, he froze. I knew what it meant. Bane was seconds away from storming out of that door and disappearing once again.


    "Don''t," I pleaded in a barely audible whisper. I knew I was taking a risk when I averted my gaze down to my feet as I was presenting him with a perfect way out, but I couldn''t look at him anymore. Bane toyed with me. From the first day he brought me here, he had done nothing but y around with everything he could use against me. My fears, emotions, feelings - everything.


    "If you are so adamant to avoid me, to force me into a life of a living ghost, why not set me free? Why must I stay here if I''m unwanted? Do you have any idea how that feels? To be stripped of everything that ever mattered to you, just to be tossed aside and looked at as if you''re invisible? Every time someone passes me, they stare so nkly, it makes me feel like I''m see-through. Why am I still here, Bane?"


    Every word, although quiet, echoed against the walls and came back to haunt me. My own voice turned into something I couldn''t recognize anymore and taunted me. "I can''t let you go.¡± Bane muttered.


    My head shot up and eyes focused on him as a sudden wave of anger surged through me. Was that all it really was? Just a couple of words to exin the torture he kept dragging me though?


    And for what? For whatever selfish reasons he had, just to hold me here? It made no sense!


    I had plenty of awful things to tell him, but seeing how pouring my heart out didn''t work on Bane, I decided to approach him with nothing but questions. "Are you nning to sell me after all?"


    Bane''s eyes grew even wider and jaw dropped a little, as if I was saying the most outrageous thing he had ever heard.


    "Stop giving me silent reactions and answer my question. Are you nning to sell me? Is there an agreement between you and Alpha Killian already? If it hasn''t been written, when will it happen? How much time have I left as a ghost among your people until I be the object to be passed down onto the next monster?" My voice kept rising as tears stung in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.


    There was a moment when I thought Bane had human emotions. I let myself believe there was more to him than I had seen and heard about the man.


    But sadly, the further we went, the more I learned about how true some rumors and assumptions could really be. I was here for his convenience and sick enjoyment for torturing women.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I repeated myself. "Alpha Bane, when am I being sold off?"


    He winced at the mention of his title. Standing face to face with my tormentor was one thing, but facing someone who was so lost and clearly hurt proved how emotionally weak I was. I wanted to be strong, I really did, but I couldn''t help but feel for other''s pain.


    As stupid as it might have sounded, Bane was in a lot of pain. It was evident in his eyes, always had, even when he did awful things to others, me including.


    Learning more things about him didn''t help either. I got some bits and hints here and there, all of them solidifying the fact that he had been through some awful things, and those left consequences. "You''re not."

 70: What do you want me to do?

    **Bane


    pov**


    I wasn''t supposed to feel guilty. Ever.


    But facing her and seeing how she was trying to appear strong while she clearly broke down inside, yeah, that kind of broke me too. And I felt guilty.


    I felt guilty for leading my men to ughter that bloody pack. I felt guilty for taking her against her will and forcing her into a world she didn''t fit in. And more than anything, I felt guilty because I knew I could never give her everything she deserved.


    I wasn''t the charming prince who swept her off her feet and gave her the life she dreamed of. I was the wicked, ugly beast who stood in the path of her price. I was the one who kept her from her happily ever after.


    On top of those things, I was also selfish. Because I wanted her to myself, even though I knew it was wrong of me. I wasn''t supposed to want her at all.


    "I''m not? Oh, wow, thank you the most kind sir, what could I do if it weren''t for your sudden decision to not sell me all of a sudden?" She snapped back at me, all sass and sarcasm.


    This side of her I liked it. Aife had a mischievous glint in her eyes that drove me closer, that encouraged me to hold onto the idea of having her tighter.


    No wonder Zion loved to rub in my eyes that one day, I would identally run into someone who would annoy me beyond any limit but I still would refuse to let go of the person.


    As my luck would have it, the person turned out to be the one I couldn''t have. Fate was a bitch.


    "What do you want me to do?" I asked, my voice weaker than I wanted for it to be. "Seriously, just tell me what do you want me to do? It''s bad if I give you too much attention, bad if I''m mean, bad when I''m nice, and when I start avoiding you to give you the bloody space you clearly need, again, it''s bad. Is there anything I can do the right way, or will everything I do be wrong in your eyes?"


    Her eyes widened a little, as if my words were something she couldn''t believe.


    "You''re shitting me right now, are you?" Aife gasped.


    I was an ass, I knew that much, but the fact was proven even more when I almost smiled at her question. I led my life living surrounded by other men, all of them as polite as sailors, so to hear her say the asional rude word was quite amusing.


    "No, I''m not," I answered when I finally got back to my senses.


    All that hurt suddenly turned into anger as she stalked closer to me. Just as I was about to ask what she was doing, Aife pped me across the face. Hard.


    Slowly she took a step back and shook her hand as if the p hurt her more than it did me. It probably did. "There. This is what you can do to make me feel better. See, I''m already feeling way better. Consequences be damned, I needed this. God, I needed this."


    As shocked as I was about the p, nothing shocked me more than my own reaction. My head dropped in shame as I muttered, "I deserved that."


    She didn''t react to my words and maybe that was for the best. Maybe keeping my distance while giving her what she wanted would be better.


    After all, it was clear she craved human interaction, just not with me. I had done more damage than intended already.


    Taking a few steps back, I neared the door. "Zion will be with you shortly," I announced, turned on my heel and left the bedroom.


    I had done some pretty fucked up stuff in my life, but this had to be the lowest I had fallen. For years, I couldn''t wait until I could get my revenge, but I got so twisted in hurt and anger that I didn''t see how I was hurting the wrong person. Aife had nothing to do with my past. She wasn''t the one who did those awful things, yet I forced her to take the me. She didn''tmit the crimes she was paying for.


    As I rounded the corner, I ran into Zion. I had a feeling he didn''t leave and would wait nearby in case she needed him, so I was d to have him around.


    Clearing my throat, I looked into my best friend''s eyes and said the words I should have said ages ago, "I recall the Alphamand. You are a man of your own free will. I trust you." I patted his shoulder and left him too.


    I knew Aife often referred to me as the bane of her existence, which let''s be clear, was pretty funny but also urate. These days, I felt like I was the very thing to everyone who was unfortunate enough to have me in their way. No one bothered or tried to stop me as I made my way back to the office. That was my new hideout, the one ce where I didn''t feel like anyone could barge in and disturb my peace.


    Yeah, I might have been spending my days among empty bottles, but that was beyond the point.


    As soon as I slipped inside my office, I closed the door and locked it behind me. That was the only way I could ensure no one would go after me.


    Walking through the piles of empty bottles and trash, I realized that I was sinking even lower than I thought, so I grabbed a few trash bags and started tossing out everything that was empty or appeared suspicious.


    The only thing I didn''t touch was everything piled up on the desk. I had so many notes and documents there, losing one could result in setting myself up pretty bad.


    Ever since Killian pulled off that stunt by sending his hounds inside my territory and house, I couldn''t be too careful. So, once I figured out how to keep Aife away from this mess, I started digging dirt on him.


    I wasn''t entirely sure what urged him to get her at all costs, but I was adamant to find out. If she were just an Alpha''s daughter, I doubt he would try this damn hard.


    I suspected there was something about her, something special and probably so unique, finding another woman with whatever she had would be damn near impossible. All that was left was for me to figure out what exactly it was.


    By the time I finished tossing all the trash in the bags, I felt a little lighter. Like a weight was lifted off my shoulders with a couple of those bags.


    Once I sat back behind my desk, I sorted the papers in separate piles to go through them easier. I pulled many strings to get some of the more private information, including her medical history, so if there was anything for me to find, I would. *Don''t fuck this up, Bane, just don''t fuck this up.*

 71: Those girls were saved.

    **Aife


    pov**


    For once, Bane didn''t lie. He imed Zion would join me shortly, and he did.


    As soon as Beta burst through the door, he ran to me, grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a tight, bone-crushing hug. "You''re okay, oh, Goddess, you''re okay," he muttered over and over again.


    When I managed to get out of his grip, I finally felt like I could breathe. "What the hell was that? What just happened?" I muttered to myself.


    Zion took the questions as something I was asking him. Slowly, he raised an eyebrow and stared at me as if I was growing another head. "What are you talking about? The Alphamand? Bane hates using it, but sometimes he does if there''s no other option, don''t sweat it."


    As he shrugged his shoulders, I tried to decide if it would be for the best if I told Zion what actually bothered me.


    Everyone in this pack was pretty much used to Bane''s multiple personalities, but it was something new for me, so I still struggled to understand him.


    For some reason, my hand shot up to my lips and my fingertips gently brushed them. My mind instantly went back to the moment when Bane kissed me.


    Now, I realized how many emotions the beast forced in that kiss. It felt so desperate, so all-consuming, it nearly didn''t make sense. In a way, it really didn''t.


    "Holy hell, don''t tell me that he-" Zion cut himself off with a loud gasp. "He did!" Following the statement, Zion started jumping around, looking like his butt was on fire.


    "Calm down, stop trying to attract unnecessary attention and exin what is happening. Zion, I''m so lost... I- I just want to understand him and his intentions. All he does is confuse me."


    Zion finally stopped, took my hand and led me closer to the bed to sit down. He didn''t let go of his hold on my hand as we sat in silence. "I will need a little more information. What is it that confuses you the most?" "Bane," I answered in a du-uh tone.


    He rolled his eyes at me. "Well, yeah, that much is clear for any fool. I mean what exactly confuses you about the things he does. Give me details, be more specific, please."


    Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to ground myself and set my thoughts in order. Lasing out wouldn''t bring any good, especially because Zion wasn''t to be med for anything.


    All he did was try to be a good friend.


    "Hot and cold, for example? Just look back at everything that has happened. And actually,e to think of it, Bane isn''t the only problem. I''ve noticed how differently I''m being treatedpared to others. The batch of new girls that arrived not long ago, for example. Remember them? Yeah, none looked like their packs had been ughtered moments ago, and all of them wore fancy dresses. It wasn''t the same case with me."


    Zion let go of my hand and ran his fingers through his hair, groaning as he did. The next moment, he shot up to his feet and started pacing the small room.


    "It isn''t my ce to tell you all the details about some stuff that is happening around the pack, but I can exin about the girls. Only if you promise you will settle for what information I''m willing to share for now. You will find out more when the time is right but as soon as I tell you what I can, we''re changing the topic. Deal?"


    Since he sounded so worried, and even afraid, I instantly agreed with him. Knowing something was way better than not knowing anything at all.


    "Deal," I muttered when his gaze focused on me.


    "Okay, good," Zion muttered and kept pacing. "Thest girls that arrived, they weren''t stolen or anything. Some things about our pack seem surprising for outsiders, but Bane does many things because he has to. Let''s say some packs sure do deserve what''sing their way. However, those girls were saved. They came willingly."


    As I tried to piece the bigger picture together, it didn''t make sense. I had heard about plenty of awful packs where women were mistreated and beaten to death on most asions, so I wouldn''t argue that some deserved the worst. But in this case, what were they saving the girls from? An abusive pack? Even the worst abusers could be one''s family and for the most part, unfortunately, we are wired to love even those who hurt us.


    "They came from a trafficking pack. Don''t tell Bane I told you, I''ve already said too much." Zion added more rity to his words.


    "Trafficking pack?" I whispered, hoping he could toss another bone my way.


    He was extremely fast on his feet as Zion appeared right next to me again and leaned closer to whisper, "they were taken from different packs when they were very young. Literally infants and toddlers. The rogues who stole them from different packs sold them off to the biggest bidder. In this case, a pack that was famous for trafficking young women. They bought them, trained and beat them into perfect, submissive women and then, once they reach the age, the pack sells them off making massive profit."


    "So, it''s like a brothel but way worse?" I whispered.


    "Yeah," Zion agreed. "Now, this topic is off the table and I forget I ever told you anything. Don''t tell Bane you know why those girls arrived, he prefers to act like a viin when ites to the new chicks."


    "But why, though? Why must he paint himself as the bad guy?" I kept prying.


    Any information about Bane would help me understand him better. In turn, I could get closer to him and see if I would ever get out of here.


    Reality was that I could try to figure out how to let Killian know where I was. The problem with that was that I didn''t want to leave with Killian either.


    My father imed he wasn''t a bad man, very noble and wealthy, but I had eavesdropped on their meetings after I first found out that dad wanted to marry me off to that man and something about his was off.


    Bane was awful, inside and out, but at least he didn''t hide his true nature. Killian was the opposite outside he looked calm and handsome, but inside, he was rotten.


    If I had to choose, I would rather remain around someone who was their true self, as monstrous as they could be, than stand next to someone who hid how monstrous they could be.


    "Past. Traumas. Experiences? You name it. Bane has a reason for everything he does. Sometimes, even I get confused with shit he can pull off, but for the most part... Yeah, let''s stick to the fact that there is a reason why I remain at his side." Zion muttered as his eyes focused on the wall opposite of us.


    "He''s your best friend, it makes sense that you want to remain at his side. I would do the same if I had a best friend," I tried to add a little positivity to this conversation.


    Zion pped a hand over his heart and looked at me in disbelief. "Wow, so I''m not your friend? Like not a friend at all? And here I was, thinking we had something good going. You wound me, Aife, you hurt me so bad."


    We both burst out inughter the moment thest words left his lips. This was one of the easiest and most enjoyable moments I had during thest few days, despite the serious conversation.


    When we managed to calm down, Zion pulled me to my feet and announced that we were going out. Judging by his logic, now that Bane had left me solely as Zion''s responsibility and wouldn''t mend in our business anymore, Zion had the right to take me out and show me more of the nearby town.


    I couldn''t help but grin like a child, about to visit the candy store. I had lost a lot, in fact, everything, because of Bane, but on the bright side, I had Zion now. I wasn''t as alone as I thought after all.

 72: Some ass and booze.

    **Zion


    pov**


    I knew that I was bound to pay dearly for what I was nning to do, but it was worth it.


    Aife had no idea how far I was willing to go to prove a point to my best friend, but that was fine with me since she wouldn''t have to face the consequences. At least I hoped so.


    I, on the other hand, would deal with whatever my best friend decided to give me.


    Pulling her down the hall, I kept tugging on her hand to encourage Aife to walk faster.


    Bane wouldn''t be happy to know I dragged her to the bedroom, but he rarely entered it these days so I doubted he would even notice.


    The moment we stepped inside his bedroom, she started acting weird. Switching her weight from one leg to another and looking around as if she knew she wasn''t supposed to be here. "Any ideas about what you would like to wear?" I asked, grinning as widely as I could.


    She shook her head, refusing to use her words.


    "ssic. Alright, I''ll choose for you, no problem," I mumbled as I walked inside the closet and grabbed a few fancier-looking pieces.


    One thing I noticed about her was that Aife had forgotten was her beauty and how amazing her body was. If Bane had decided to ignore it, that was on him. I would dly do anything to show her off.


    Stepping out of the closet, I winked at her as I handed her a small pile of clothing.


    "What is this?" She asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    "Clothes? You know, a fabric created out of something that was sewn together to create one piece for someone to wear for the sole reason of covering their body?" I replied.


    Not surprisingly, she rolled her eyes at me. "You don''t have to give me the obvious answer, you know that''s not what I asked. Why are you giving me these?" "We''re going out," again, I stated the obvious.


    Aife was slowly growing frustrated with me. I could see it by how pink her cheeks turned and her re that probably could kill someone if he had superpowers.


    "I was thinking you would take me somewhere to show me ces, not to go to a strip club. Did you even look at what you were choosing? Seriously, the dress looks like I''m on a mission to sell my body!" Aife hissed. It wasn''t even that revealing... It was. Maybe. But that was beyond the point, okay?


    "No missions, just get dressed and let''s go, we have adventures to find. And for the love of the Moon Goddess, stop assuming the worst. I won''t hurt you and won''t let others do that either. You''re safe with me." I winked and spun on my heel to give her more sense of privacy.


    Honestly, I expected she would enter the bathroom to change, but to my surprise, Aife started dropping her clothes on the floor and did it right while I stood nearby.


    That had to mean that she trusted me, right? In a way, I believed she did.


    After a brief moment, she huffed out a barely audible ''there, I''m ready'' so I instantly spun around to face her.


    Speechless. That was the only word I could think of to describe how it felt to look at her. This chick surely had no idea how drop-dead gorgeous she was.


    I was amazed how much she could change just by wearing something other than those worn-out rags she wore while working around the house.


    My jaw probably hit the ground-floor by the time she showed some reaction.


    Aife looked nervous as she kept hugging herself as if she soughtfort and then dropped her arms to her sides just to repeat the process.


    "It''s bad, right? I probably look cheap. Dad used to warn me that revealing clothes like these will make me look like a whore, he was right. Can I change into something else, please?"


    Her eyes darted everywhere but at me. Honestly, the things my best friend had done were vile and I disagreed with every damn thing he deemed as right, but at least Bane wasn''t the one who killed her self-confidence. There was a fucker who did that long before Bane could have a chance to do it.


    "No," the word that left me sounded so hoarse, I had to clear my throat if I wanted her to understand what I was trying to say. "You look absolutely stunning. Honestly, swear to my dad cat, and I loved the furry fucker, you are gorgeous. And you look nice."


    A faint smile appeared on her lips as she looked down and attempted to turn around to show her outfit to me. "Are you sure it doesn''t look too cheap? I''m not talking about the actual price, Zion, don''t mention it please."


    Ah, it was so cool to see how I was growing on her. She could predict that I was about to rub the price of the dress in her face.


    I shook my head. "I think you look stunning. If you need me to use more simplenguage to get to you, I will say something my best friend would. Bane would describe you as ravishing," I added a wink just because I could. Aife''s cheeks tinted light pink and she instantly averted her gaze.


    I couldn''t exin what was happening between them both, but anyone in this house could see the tension between them. There was this invisible pull they had to each other, but no one could exin it.


    It wasn''t a mate bond. We all were sure it wasn''t. There were plenty of reasons why we knew Bane didn''t have a mate and maybe one day, we woulde to exin why, but this wasn''t the right moment to start digging up that dirt. Nevertheless, there was tension between Aife and Bane, regardless if they wanted to admit it or not. And while both rather spent their days acting clueless, I was dead set on proving them a thing or two. Especially to Bane. Offering her my hand, I shed her the brightest smile I could muster, "shall we?"


    Aife giggled, ced her hand in mine and muttered, "you''re getting me in some trouble here, Zion. Make sure you don''t leave my side, even I wouldn''t want to be me if Bane learns I left the house, especially while looking like I''m about to sell my dignity."


    Iughed at her words. Little did she know my n more or less was what she feared. As soon as we would get in a safe distance, I would snap a photo of her in my car and text Bane that we were on our way to catch some ass and booze. Leaving the bedroom and walking towards the stairs, she kept cursing under her breath while I enjoyed myself, imagining the look on Bane''s face when he would finally realize exactly how incapable of letting her go he truly was. Honestly, he understood more than he was willing to show, and sometimes, he just needed that extra push. No one could me me for giving my best friend what he needed. After all, I had his best interest at heart.

 73: You smell nice.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I expected Zion to drive me around and show some ces he liked, but of course, everything I expected didn''t happen.


    Zion had to take me to some shady-looking establishment to show how "real wolves had fun", whatever that meant, really.


    As we got out of the car, I was instantly hit with a wave of overwhelming stench, a mix of rotting meat, blood and something else.


    I scrunched my nose at him, but Zion just shrugged. "No big deal, rogues die here more often than you would think. Happens, you know. Don''t let this kill your spirits, let''s go have some fun."


    My spirit of having fun had been nonexistent for years, so the overall setting really wasn''t the reason why I didn''t want to be here.


    Taking in the shady building and the dress I was wearing, I kind of feared that Zion took me here to pimp me out. All I could do was hope he meant it when he said he wanted to be my friend. It would suck if my life became even worse than it already was.


    Zion threw his arm around my shoulders and tried to encourage me to go in. He imed, actually swore, that nothing bad could happen to me for as long as he was around.


    "Come on, I promise nothing will happen. Swear to the Goddess herself, seriously. Nothing bad could possibly happen. I won''t step away for as much as a second. You need to loosen up a little and enjoy yourself while you''re still young," he kept bbering.


    "I can enjoy myself in a library more than I would in a shady ce, Zion.¡± I announced as I rolled my eyes.


    His hand grabbed my shoulder to shake me a little. "And I can do the same thing in the gardens. Haven''t you noticed that I act like an actual child sometimes? I can run around and chase butterflies for my enjoyment, but this is like another level, you know. It''s different. It''s the adult fun." He kept pressing as we took our spot at the back of the line of people, waiting to be let in.


    "Reading is an adult fun, Zion," I mumbled.


    "Yeah, yeah, in no time, you will find your mate, start having sex and birth millions of babies. I want to see your ability to read or get reckless with those babies in your arms. Just this once and you''re free of my torment."


    As much as I wanted to argue, I decided against it. If a couple of minutes in that building would make Zion happy, I could suck it up for the sake of our friendship.


    Perhaps staying silent was the best option because the security guards allowed two people in and one of the buff guys caught my eye.


    Since he probably could feel my eyes on him, the man looked at me. A crooked smile appeared across his lips as he pointed his finger at me and called out, "you, there, the new meat,e in."


    "The new meat, as you called her, is with me," Zion''s voice red over everyone who had already startedining about the long wait bing even longer with random people being let in.


    The guard''s eyes focused in our direction and the scary man actually paled when his gaze caught a glimpse of Zion.


    "Beta, my apologies for the long wait. You shouldn''t have stood in the line in the first ce, please, enter," the guard sounded genuinely terrified.


    In the meantime, Zion grinned like the very child he called himself moments ago.


    I kept ncing at my new best friend and the terrified people around us,pletely lost. Why were they acting as if he was some monster and they couldn''t look at him?


    As soon as we stepped inside the building, I tried to pin Zion down with my gaze. "What was that?"


    He offered me a sheepish grin, "I might have a reputation around here."


    "No shit," I spat back without a second thought.


    "Let''s say people are very well aware of who Bane and his Beta are, okay? Now, drop this thought and let''s move to the dance floor, it''s about time you start shaking those cheeks," Zionughed, stepped aside and pped my ass. My eyes grew so wide, I seriously feared the possibility of them popping out of the sockets.


    Zion wasn''t trying to hit on me, he never showed any intention to do so, it was more of a way to annoy me even more.


    I wasn''t sure why he did all of these things, so I just forced my lips in a thin line and followed him inside. As it turned out, we were at some hidden, illegal nightclub Zion was very known inside.


    Ha, it looked like Beta had some secrets of his own.


    What surprised me the most was how much women were ring at me. Like, if looks could kill, I would be six feet underground even before I stepped inside the club.


    Then, everything became even weirder when women started throwing themselves at Zion and he just pushed them all away with one, simple sentence. "Not this time, babe."


    I stuck out like a sore thumbpared to people who surrounded us. Although earlier I imed I looked like I was about to sell myself, the reality was that I was the only woman who was fully covered. The women around me wore little to nothing, if anything at all.


    In fact, I saw at least fivepletely nude women.


    "Cool ce, isn''t it?" Zion grinned as soon as we reached the dance floor.


    I looked around again and bit my lip. "To each their own, I suppose. Call me a prude, but I don''t like it here. Should I mention I don''t belong? I stick out."


    Zion wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against his body. "Chill, don''t pay any attention to anyone but me. We''re here to have fun, not fuck around."


    At first, I was as stiff as a log, but after a while, I gave in and agreed to enjoy myself. This was my first experience going to a nightclub, so I had the right to enjoy it.


    Zion and I danced like crazy, ignoring everyone around us. No matter how many women asked him if they could dance, Zion refused them all.


    Deep down, I knew it was wrong, but I enjoyed that part. My friend took me out clubbing for the first time ever and refused anyone but me. Funny how a friend managed to make me feel like I mattered. Like I was the only person who really did matter.


    As the time flew by and I finally shook off every fear I had prior to this moment, Zion announced he was thirsty. He offered me to go to the bar with him, but then encouraged me to dance a little more if I wanted.


    And that was exactly what I did. I danced. Alone.


    Although I had never thought of myself as attractive, quite a few men approached me and asked me if I wanted to dance with them. Thankfully, I learned the magic form to get rid of them all was to announce that I was here with Beta Zion. Every time I mentioned his name, everyone ran away.


    Zion was taking his sweet time, so I assumed he was busy fighting off his admirers. As awful as my departure from my father''s pack was, I started learning a lot of important things only after I was out.


    For example, how easy it was for one to control and manipte masses for as long as his or her name was well known. I had thought humans were vile in a way since they followed their greed and lust for power, but in reality, werewolves weren''t far behind.


    When an arm wrapped around my waist again and my back was pulled against someone''s back, I giggled, thinking it was Zion. "Did you bring some water for me too?"


    Someone''s nose ran over my neck and I instantly froze. It wasn''t Zion, who was sniffing me now. Zion never did such a thing and I knew he wouldn''t. "You smell nice."

 74: Chill, it’s just a little testy-test. No biggie.

    **Zion


    pov**


    Did I fuck up already? Maybe... Maybe.


    Alright, I fucked up big, massive, enormous time, but it wasn''t like I could predict something like this could happen. Especially out in the public.


    And besides, it wasn''t like I left Aife alone for long. It was a couple of minutes tops that I wasted getting water and trying to tell the harpies I didn''t need theirpany.


    But as it turned out, the fucker who waited in the shadows didn''t need more time than that. As soon as he saw his chance, he got his dirty paws all over her.


    Bane was going to murder me. I could almost taste the stench in the cells that were to be my home for a couple of weeks from now.


    That is, if Bane happened to find out what happened. Something he didn''t know wouldn''t hurt him, right?


    Except...


    The text message that shed on my phone''s screen screamed trouble before the mad fucker was actually trying to get inside here.


    *Pray for your life, Zion, I''m not joking around. If you leave her side for as much as a second before I arrive, you''re as good as dead. I know you took her to the cave. Be there in five.*


    Well, suppose he received my text and the reaction following was the same I expected. Of course, I never nned the shit that was happening before my eyes, but I partly thought I could rid us all of trouble. Walking closer to Aife, I set my eyes on the one man no one wanted to see. Alpha Killian in flesh.


    How he got the word that we were here was beyond me, but he surely had to know I wasn''t happy about it.


    Standing right behind him as he grinded against Aife, I cleared my throat.


    "Fuck off, this ones taken," he growled, startling at least half of the people that surrounded us.


    With a wide smile across my lips, I tapped his shoulder. "I know she''s taken. By me."


    If I went around and told people Aife was Bane''s chosen Luna, it would scare away as many people as it would bring in. Bane had plenty of enemies, just mentioning his name made shit go downhill pretty damn fast. As he turned his head to look at me over his shoulder, I could see the initial shock he felt, but of course, Killian was a master at hiding his emotions.


    To my surprise, he pulled his dirty paws away from Aife''s waist, which instantly made her rx, and stepped aside. "My bad, man, didn''t see you with her earlier." Killian lied.


    Of course he had seen me. He had seen her. He had watched us all this time. I felt his eyes on us, but never thought the moron could go as far as to actually approach her.


    Forcing a smile, I stepped close enough to Aife for her to lean against me. "Yeah, it happens. Nice seeing you around and about for once."


    "Same, same," Killian hummed as his gaze slowly left me and focused on Aife. "And who is this beautiful creature, if I may ask? I hadn''t heard anything about the great Beta Zion entering the dating pool."


    I had to suppress the growl that was forming in my chest due to us being in a public space. Following ourws, I wasn''t supposed to be disrespectful to an Alpha, but shit, did I want to be.


    "My name is Maya, I''m Zion''s girlfriend," Aife reacted before I could, offering her hand to the shithead grinning at her.


    "Maya, huh? Well, it''s a pleasure to meet you, Maya. I''m very sorry if I came across as some creep, I just can''t help myself if I happen to run into a stunning woman such as yourself, especially if she''s left behind, lonely." Killian spoke like he owned the damn ce.


    "I didn''t catch your name," Aife said as she shook his hand.


    "My name is of no importance, lovely. I wouldn''t want to mess with that beautiful little head of yours since you''re a taken woman."


    Aife pulled her hand out of his grip and nced at me, seeking answers.


    "That''s Alpha Killian, babe." I said as I threw my arm around her shoulders and pulled Aife closer to me. "This catching up has been a fun thing to do, but we really must get going. ces to be, people to see and all the regr shit, I''m sure you understand."


    Killian didn''t look pleased. Deep down, I knew he was aware that I was lying and there still was a possibility that he might have recognized her scent, but I pushed the thoughts aside.


    Unlike his regr asshole behavior, he actually stepped aside to let us leave and wished us the best.


    Yeah, Killian''s best wishes were thest thing I needed, especially with Bane on his way to rip off my head.


    The moment I had the chance, I pulled Aife out of the building and walked her back to the car, scanning the parking lot as I did.


    "What are you looking for?" Aife asked as soon as we stopped in front of my car.


    Although I didn''t want to admit it, I had toe clean with her. I kind of dragged her into deep shit and if there were to be any consequences, I had to ensure she knew why and who was responsible for it.


    "Bane," I muttered the name, sounding as if just saying it was killing me.


    Aife''s eyes widened and jaw nearly hit the ground. Her eyes immediately started scanning the parking lot frantically, showing just how uneasy and scared she had grown with the new revtion.


    "I can''t believe you dragged me into trouble, Zion," she whisper-yelled at me. "I thought you would take me to see ces, maybe to drink a cup of coffee, not put a target on my back all over again. You know how Bane is, I will suffer, not you." Just as I opened my mouth, any word that was about to leave me disappeared and my throat dried up.


    "You''re not getting in trouble. He is," Bane spoke as he approached us.


    We both looked at him in horror. Each of us had our own reasons to fear my best friend, but the main reason had to be how unpredictable Bane became when he was angry.


    "Get in the car," Bane told Aife, a little softer than I expected his voice to be.


    "But-" she tried to argue.


    "I said get in the bloody car," Bane roared as he pointed his finger at his car, not mine.


    Yeah, there he was, the old Bane, back and better than ever.


    "I can take her home," I announced just to get all the heat off her.


    This was my fault, she really had nothing to do with my ideas and Bane just had to understand that much.


    As expected, Bane red at me without saying a word. Aife hurried to his car and sat down, throwing me worried nces while Bane stalked closer to me.


    In a stupid attempt to ease the situation, I raised my hands and took a step back, "Chill, it''s just a little testy-test. No biggie."


    Bane''s face twisted in anger as he raised his fist, pulled it back, and swung at me. The moment his knuckles connected with my jaw, I was thrown off my feet.


    With an unreadable expression on his face, Bane loomed over me and mocked my own words, "chill, it''s just a little testy-test. No biggie. Get in the car and drive home, we have some serious conversations ahead. Don''t be fuckingte.¡±

 75: I won’t hurt you.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I pped both of my hands over my mouth as I watched Bane attack Zion. He loomed over his best friend, spat something at him and stalked towards the car.


    As soon as Bane sat in the driver''s seat, he looked at me over his shoulder and growled, making me want to be invisible. "Why the fuck are you sitting in the back? Come here."


    I shook my head, too scared to speak up. It didn''t matter how many times I found the strength to speak up against him or defy hismands, angry Bane was very scary Bane and I didn''t want to test my luck. "Aife," Bane breathed out my name as he leaned back in the seat and focused his eyes ahead. "I won''t hurt you. You''re not in trouble, Zion is. Please, sit next to me."


    This gentle side of his was just as surprising as it was truly terrifying. There was no saying if and when he would change back to the beast he was, but constantly defying him might be a push for that to happen. My hands shook as I opened the car door and shut it. Then, I opened the passenger side door and carefully slid in, forcing my body as close to the door as possible.


    When Bane leaned over to me, I flinched away. At first, I could see an emotion sh in his eyes, but he shook it away and focused on buckling me up like a child. "Safety first," Bane muttered.


    My eyes didn''t leave him as Bane started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.


    Okay, I lied there. My eyes did leave him for a second or two, enough to notice the man from the club standing at the entrance, watching us.


    Zion imed it was Alpha Killian, but since I didn''t see much of him in the club, I couldn''t know for sure and just had to trust what Zion said.


    The first few minutes of the drive went by in silence. Bane was gripping the steering wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white. Every time he nced in the rearview mirror, he grinded his teeth or made an annoyed sound. "You reek of him," Bane suddenly spat, clearly annoyed.


    "Of who?" I managed to ask.


    "Killian. How did that bitch get close to you?"


    His words wereced in venom, dripping it, but there was something more. A hint of worry? Fear?


    I cleared my throat and tried to sound as casual as I could. "Zion took me dancing. Please don''t be angry at him, this kind of was my first experience in a nightclub and I really appreciate him for trying to cheer me up. If you haven''t noticed already, I was kind of sheltered for the majority of my life. No, scratch that, I was isted," I mumbled.


    Bane''s grip on the steering wheel became even tighter, apletely opposite reaction to how gentle his voice was. "How did Killian get close enough to you to rub his stench all over you? No offense, but you reek like a skunk peed on you." An unexpected chuckle left me. "I asked Zion if he could get me some water after a while of dancing. He literally barely turned his back on me to fetch the water and that man was there. Thankfully, Zion noticed it and he was back at my side secondster."


    "So that fucker used a window of mere seconds to approach you?" Bane spat through gritted teeth.


    As much as I wanted to cover away and remain silent, I knew I couldn''t do that. My answers would determine if Zion gets in trouble or not, I had to cover the situation for my new best friend.


    "Yes, that he did. Can we please not talk about it? I know my happiness doesn''t matter to you, but I was really enjoying myself and hoped we coulde to an agreement to not sour my mood? I offer a bribe in the form of that dry chicken you never liked."


    Bane couldn''t see it, but I had crossed my fingers, hoping he would agree. If there was anything he hated more than any other thing, it had to be my cooking, so my attempt to bribe him probably wouldn''t work.


    Just as I was awaiting another row of mockery, Bane surprised me byughing. "Yeah, I suppose I''m in the mood for some chicken sandwiches. Think you could throw some together?"


    Containing the surprise I felt was hard, but I managed. From there, we both fell silent until Bane drove down the road closer to the main building, but made another turn right before we reached it. "Where are we going?" I asked, clearly taken aback.


    "Back to my house. It''s cleaned up, the furniture has been reced and renovations might happen in the near future. For now, we''re moving back there since Zion just proved I can''t trust him as much as I thought I could," Bane exined, no emotionscing his voice whatsoever.


    "It really wasn''t his fault, he shouldn''t get punished for trying to make someone happy," I doubled down.


    Bane chuckled. "I didn''t say anything about him getting published, did I?"


    I thought back the entire drive, including hisst words and couldn''t catch a moment when Bane implied he would do something to Zion, so I shook my head.


    "My point exactly. I said he''s in trouble, never imed he would suffer dire consequences for his actions. Trouble means different things. For example, I can make him join the patrols more often so he stops acting like a child and starts thinking like an adult. Actions have consequences. This time, I''m withholding them because of you."


    With that being said, Bane parked his car in front of the house and got out. He walked around the car, opened the door for me and offered me his hand.


    A little reluctant, I ced my hand in his and let him pull me out of the car. As we neared the house, Bane didn''t let go of my hand.


    At the door stood a couple of guys who greeted us. Bane nodded at them in acknowledgement and muttered something about needing guards at all posts until he said otherwise.


    Once we stepped inside the house, I was absolutely amazed how different it looked. Compared to previous designs, it was more in and simple, but honestly, I liked it better now.


    "You can redecorate and change things around however you like. Just let me know when you''re ready to meet with the designers and get the work going."


    I was sure I didn''t hear it right as I was so overwhelmed by everything that was happening, I didn''t know what to focus on.


    The house was different, Bane acted differently and even as he led me towards the kitchen, he still refused to let go of my hand.


    "You owe me a sandwich for the trouble I had to go through. While you cook, I''ll stay around to chat and afterwards, when you take a shower and get ready to sleep, I''ll have to step out." "Where?" I asked, as always, without thinking.


    "The conversation with Zion. Promise I won''t do anything stupid or anything you wouldn''t do. Your new friend is safe, at least for now."

 76: She’s safe with me.

    **Zion


    pov**


    Shit. Deep, deep, over the head, deep shit. That was where I dragged myself into.


    The only positive thing about this situation was that Bane arrived on time. He took Aife with him, so I was sure she would be safe now.


    I never intended to put her in danger. I never wanted her to get in trouble.


    For once, I wanted to see the girl that was hurting fade into distant memories. Although I might have chosen the wrong approach, I really tried to make her smile, rx and enjoy herself. If anyone, Aife was the only person I knew who deserved it.


    It was a shame no one but me seemed to be able to see how worthy she was, how truly amazing and bright that woman was.


    Aife wasn''t someone who I could be interested in romantically, but she sure was someone I wanted to befriend.


    Compared to people who lived in the pack, she was a breeze of fresh air. And on top of that, for me, she was a glimmer of hope.


    Of the hope that one day, things would get better. We all could be pulled out of the darkness that surrounded us, she was the key, all I needed was to prove to Bane that my theory was correct. By the time I parked in front of the main building, I couldn''t see Bane''s car anywhere. At first, I was a little worried, but then, I wrote the absence down to him, probably heading back to his house. The thought that my best friend wanted so much privacy with a woman warmed my heart, but it wasn''t strong enough to rid me of the fear that had rooted itself inside me.


    The shadows of the past were dangerous, even more so now that he was trying to fight them.


    "Pull yourself together and focus on now rather than what the future holds. He can do this, you know he can," I muttered to myself as I got out of the car and headed towards the main door.


    As soon as I stepped inside, I noticed how quiet it was. My guess was that Bane sent everyone to their rooms in a fit of anger.


    Slowly, I walked towards his office. I knew he woulde here to give me a piece of his mind pretty soon, so it was better if I didn''t make him wait.


    Bane was a man of unpredictable nature and soon, I would find out if it really would be Bane who I would have to face.


    Opening the door to his office, I slipped inside but didn''t close the door behind me. I chose to leave it open as a sign for Bane that I was waiting.


    Surprisingly, he had cleaned up the mess and stacked up the paperwork just how it was supposed to be. Not a thing was out of its ce.


    Sitting down, I nced at my watch and started the silent countdown for his arrival. There were many possible oues, but the main ones that circled my mind were that the longer it would take for him to arrive, the bigger the possibility that he could arrive in a murderous or joyful mood.


    Whichever it would be, well, it would depend on Aife.


    By the time I heard steps in the hallway, I was almost asleep. He sure did take his damn time to arrive.


    Just as Bane stepped inside the office, I stood up and spun on my heel to face him.


    The smile on my lips disappeared the moment when, once again, his fist collided with my face. "You''ve taken great pleasure in beating metely," I hissed as I brought my hand to my nose.


    "That''s for putting her in harm''s way," Bane announced, shrugged his shoulders and threw another punch to my jaw. "And that''s for sneaking her out without my approval."


    Either way, I was about to get my ass kicked, so what harm would a remark make? "I didn''t know you cared so much about her to assault your best friend because of a chich. All we did was just have some fun, dance a little, grind against each other, no biggie."


    I could see the rage burning in his eyes, but that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to see the anger, the panic, everything. Bane didn''t need words to prove my suspicions being right.


    And just when a smile tugged on the corner of my mouth, he punched me again.


    Now or never. Clearly, Aife hadn''t told him anything about our unexpected run-in with the asshole, so I had toe clean with Bane.


    "Wow, I can only imagine what you''ll do to me once you find out that Killian was there and he had his paws all over your precious little Luna."


    Closing my eyes, I expected the beating of a lifetime, but it never came. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see Bane, standing in the furthest corner of the room, his w digging deep in his thigh.


    "Shit, man, you''re bleeding,¡± I announced as I tried to get close to him, but Bane held out his hand as if to keep me away.


    "I know about that fucker, that''s why it''s better that you stay at safe distance. She told me everything and it''s not like I could miss his stench all over her." Bane hissed, digging his monstrous nails deeper in his flesh.


    My eyes widened. "What the fuck are you doing? Stop!"


    The look he gave me was so full of pain and sorrow, I knew it wasn''t because of what he was doing to himself. Bane was broken, so damn broken and lost that I feared he couldn''t be fixed anymore.


    "I''m trying to hold him back from hurting you. I can''t do that if you''re too close. A punch or two are okay if you deserve them, but I refuse to allow my darkness to kill my best friend. No matter what, you''re all I''ve got, Zion. I can''t lose you," Bane''s voice broke as a tear escaped his eye and rolled down his cheek.


    I wanted to run to him and pull him into the tightest hug ever. I wanted to tell him everything would be fine, he could fight it and a brighter future was ahead of us.


    It really sucked to know that all the things I wanted to say weren''t real. Those were lies, delusions I created in my mind and they probably would nevere true. But a fool could dream, couldn''t he?


    "Bane," I tried to speak, but I choked up when I noticed how he was digging the nails so deep, they could go though his leg anytime soon.


    "It''s fine, I just have to fight it," he gasped, averting his gaze.


    A massive lump appeared in my throat, so big, I was struggling to swallow around it.


    Bane was more than just my Alpha and best friend. He was the man who saved my life, who protected me when no one else did. I wanted to do the same for him.


    Sadly, I knew he wouldn''t allow me to. I knew him too well. If there was a risk to someone he cared for, Bane would rather self-iste and fight alone than endanger someone.


    As much as it pained me to, I had to ask the question that could break my best friend for good. "What about Aife? Is she safe around you?"


    His tear filled eyes focused on me. Determination I hadn''t seen ever before filled them as Bane dug his w deeper in his flesh. "She''s safe with me. I''d rather slit my own throat than allow him to get to her."

 77: You don’t deserve her.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The things I was feeling, they were tearing me apart. No one had warned me about something like this being possible.


    Growing up, I learned to be spiteful and bitter. Once, the same as any other kid, I enjoyed my life and childhood, but it changed and I couldn''t pinpoint why exactly. But now, I had so much to lose. Even the woman who gazed at me with pity and hatred at the same time... I was selfish, that much I knew.


    But how could I let go if she was the first one in so long who made me feel? I had been numb for so long, I wed at each opportunity to feel something, anything...


    It didn''t matter if it was anger, hatred, sadness or a new emotion - happiness, I wanted it all. I became greedy and so damn selfish, I didn''t know how to let go. Zion looked at me in horror. I knew from the moment he sent me that text that he was trying to teach me a lesson, and damn, did he teach me one. "Bane, we should get you checked out. I can call the doctor," Zion muttered, still listening to my warnings and keeping a safe distance.


    I shook my head. "No, she''s waiting for me home."


    Home... I forgot thest time I had addressed a building as home. Maybe because it wasn''t the brick and wood that made it home, maybe it was the person. "You''ll bleed out before you reach the damn home," Zion argued.


    I could feel the darkness expand in my chest. It fought every move I took, every decision I made. It spread through my veins and pulled me down in the abyss to take control of the body it called useless.


    "I need to get out of here, it''s fighting me," I gasped the words as I started limping towards the office door.


    "Bane, she won''t be safe if you go back now," Zion shouted after me.


    Little did he know she was safe. She would be.


    I didn''t give a damn how much the darkness tried to bring me down and act on my behalf, I would fight it till I took myst breath if that meant I could keep her safe.


    For the first time in forever, I had someone waiting for me toe home. She said it herself, Aife imed she wouldn''t sleep until I would return andy beside her.


    Recalling her statement, I limped out of the building and wondered what had I done to deserve her kindness and eptance of a vicious beast such as myself.


    *You don''t deserve her. You don''t deserve her kindness and her heart. Don''t fool yourself, you know she wants nothing to do with you. She acts nice and smiles at your face while she''s hiding a knife behind her back.*


    The words hit me hard. They cut so deep, I fell to my knees and fought myself to breathe. My lungs were on fire, they refused to ept any oxygen I was forcing inside them.


    *Bane, naive, stupid, boy Bane. You know I''m right. Deep down, you know I am, you''re just too big of a coward to admit it to yourself.*


    I ignored the voice. It knew nothing about me, even less about Aife and her kind nature. It had no right to toss such statements and use someone of being someone they weren''t.


    Aife wasn''t a traitor. I had hurt her so much, I had taken everything she ever had, and she still showed me kindness.


    She was above us all. In a word, filled with monsters and beasts, she was a godly creature.


    *A godly creature as you describe her wouldn''t waste her time with trash like you.*


    "You know nothing about her," I finally broke and spat back as I tried to get back to my feet, fighting the darkness that wanted me to remain in the same position.


    *I know plenty of things. She was happy and you took her happiness. She was innocent and you took her innocence. I''m surprised a savage such as you hasn''t gone all the way yet, but I''m sure time wille soon. Also, I know she used to have a beautiful family and pack that loved her. You took that from her too. How dare you act so high and mighty? How dare you think of her as anything more than another victim? Bane, you are so delusional. Even I pity you for your stupidity.*


    I wanted it to go. I wanted it to leave me and return where it came from.


    For years, I have done nothing but fought it. Every day, the battle became more difficult and the darkness did nothing but thrive the more I struggled.


    It enjoyed my misery, my struggle to take the upper hand.


    But now, even while I found it hard toe to terms with the thought, due to my own cruelty, I had found a reason to resist, a reason to keep fighting.


    By some miracle, I managed to get back to my feet and started walking towards home. The only thought that pushed me forward was that she was waiting for me.


    I refused to mess up something I had wanted my entire life. Just for once, I wanted to feel like I mattered for someone enough to want to see me.


    I bent myself so many times for Milly to show me that she cared, but she never truly did. I loved that woman with all my heart, but maybe Zion was right and she never really loved me.


    Or perhaps she didn''t know how to. The same as she didn''t have any idea how to care about anyone but herself.


    I gave her the world, all of me, and she tossed my effort in the nearest trash can whenever she had a chance.


    Aife was different. I had wronged her over and over again, and she still cared. She really cared for me. At least I thought so.


    *Give her time to learn how to hate you. Knowing how you are, it won''t take long. Enjoy the imaginary happiness while itsts, Bane. Every fairytalees to an end and yours will fade long before it starts.* "Jokes on you, she already hates me," I muttered as I neared the house.


    The lights in the living room were on, so I knew she kept her promise and sat on the living room couch, waiting for my arrival.


    I sounded like a dying seal as I forced myself to move faster and reach the door sooner. Something kept pulling me towards her, I wasn''t sure what it was, but the pull was hard to ignore.


    Opening the door, I instantly noticed her on the couch. Aife had wrapped herself in a nket and fallen asleep.


    As much as I wanted to scoop her in my arms and carry her to the bedroom, I knew it was better if I didn''t.


    Unless she expressed that she wanted to sleep in the bedroom, I wouldn''t act. Baby steps, I had to take them small and careful if I wanted to show her how much I was trying. *Your best has never been enough, what makes you think it will be any different with her?*

 78: Don’t cry, my angel.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I woke up because I was freezing. The nket I found yesterday had fallen on the floor, crumpled up right next to the couch.


    At first, I didn''t understand why the house felt so cold. Or at least until I cast a nce at the main door which was left open.


    And here I was, sitting on the couch on which I spent the night waiting for him, but Bane never cared enough to do as much as close the door.


    Anger instantly surged through me. So much for trying to be nice, huh?


    Oddly enough, while I was seething in anger, I didn''t get up from the couch. Maybe it was part of my paranoid nature, but I had a feeling that there was more to the situation than met the eye. My father often said I tended to look too much into situations, but this really felt too weird to be true.


    And then, as my eyes took in the room, realization hit me as soon as my eyes focused on what looked like a small drop on the floor. It was impossible to mistake it for anything but what it truly was - blood. The anger faded and was reced by panic.


    I shot up from the couch and approached the small drop of blood, frantically looking for more. There were a few, some looked like someone had tried to clean up, but all led towards the kitchen. Deep down, I knew that grabbing any weapon to defend myself would be better, but I didn''t have enough time for that.


    Whatever awaited me on the other side of that door, I would take it.


    I expected anything but what I saw as I slowly opened the door.


    Bane was lying on the floor, in the puddle of his own blood, his skin as pale as a paper sheet.


    I knew I shouldn''t feel the way I did, but I couldn''t help it. No matter how vicious the beast was, he was hurting and no one but me could help him.


    Slowly, I got closer and dropped to my knees next to him. First, I checked his pulse. Thankfully, I found it. It wasn''t nearly as strong as I hoped, but one was better than none at all.


    I pped his cheek a couple of times, trying to wake him. Since Bane didn''t react, I started panicking and added more force to each p.


    "Come on, Bane, open your eyes. Don''t you dare to die on me, open your eyes, damn it! Bane,e on!" I hissed as tears started stinging in my eyes.


    Perhaps I was stuck in a shitty book scenario because I was acting as if I cared about his well-being. Or maybe Stockholm syndrome was real and I managed to grow fond of my captor? Whichever it was, I didn''t have time to waste.


    I threw a leg over him and straddled his hips to grab Bane''s shoulders and try to shake him awake. While I did, I kept hissing at him to wake up, growing more desperate with each word that passed my lips.


    Just as I was about to give up and look for his phone to call for help, Bane opened his eyes. Barely, just briefly, but it was enough for me to know he was still fighting.


    "Did I die?" Bane muttered and closed his eyes.


    Taken aback by his question I didn''t react instantly, giving him a perfect chance to add a little more of his thoughts. "I swear I just saw an angel. I can''t open my eyes again, she''ll disappear." "You didn''t die," I breathed out. "Where is your phone? I need to call Zion, he has toe here to help. I think you lost too much blood. Why aren''t you healing, darn it?"


    As I exined my intentions, I patted down the pockets of his jeans until I found the phone. Thankfully, he didn''t have any lock on his so I could quickly find Zion''s number and dial it.


    "I didn''t let him win. Not this time," Bane muttered just as Zion answered the call.


    "Hey, what''s up? Why are you calling me? Do we have a new rule that we can''t use the pack mind-link or some shit? Since when?" Zion sounded cheerful and in good spirits, so at least I knew their conversation didn''t turn too violent yesterday.


    "Zion!" I shouted his name just as he started ranting more about the pack link. "You need toe here and bring the doctor. Bane''s hurt, he''s not healing and I barely got him to open his eyes. I think he lost too much blood." At this point, tears streamed down my cheeks. Ugly sobs escaped my lips as Zion instructed me to stay on the line until his arrival.


    I listened to him shout at people and burst through the main building door as he was assuring me that he was on his way.


    My vision was so blurry, I didn''t notice Bane looking at me until somehow, he managed to raise his hand enough to cup my cheek. "Don''t cry, my angel. Not because of me."


    His words were barely a whisper, yet they speared through my heart with so much power to them that I couldn''t stop crying even if I tried. Even my bottom lip started trembling.


    I didn''t care why I felt the way I did as Iid my head on his chest and let the tears out. Between the sobs, I managed to plead with him not to die, despite not knowing why I didn''t want Bane to die.


    Everything I did contradicted things I should have done. There was my chance to escape - I could have left him to die on the kitchen floor and disappear before anyone noticed his absence.


    But instead, I remained by his side and called for help to save him.


    Why I felt like I was saving Bane from himself was beyond me.


    I didn''t know him, I really didn''t. Other than his ugly nature and dirty deeds, there was nothing about him to know. Those few times he was nice to me couldn''t undo the damage he had caused, but I stillid on his chest as if he mattered. I should be hating him, but seeing Bane like this, I just couldn''t.


    Maybe I was too good, perhaps my nature was too naive and empathetic...


    "Please don''t die," I muttered just before someone yanked my body off Bane''s.


    I hadn''t noticed Zion and his men arriving, so it was toote for me to react when my body was thrown against the wall. Pain surged through me as the back of my head hit the wall, but I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the howl of pain inside.


    I couldn''t let their attention be taken away from Bane. My pain was nothingpared to what he was experiencing right now.


    For a bit, I watched the men and Zion surround Bane and shout something to each other. Secondster, ck dots slowly clouded my vision and other than the ringing in my ears, I couldn''t hear anything.


    Maybe the impact with the wall was worse than I initially thought. And yet, I couldn''t feel bothered. For some reason, it didn''t feel important.


    A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth as I slowly let my eyelids close and gave into the temptation and peace the darkness offered.

 79: Where is Luna?

    **Zion pov**


    Bane''s kitchen looked like a murder scene.


    As I barged inside, the men and the doctor followed me right on my heels.


    Bane was lying on the floor and Aife was lying on top of him, clutching the phone in her hand so hard, I could see her knuckles turning white.


    To my surprise, she was crying. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red, covered in ugly stains left by the tears and her eyes were puffy.


    I felt like someone had forced their hand inside my chest and grabbed my heart, squeezing the life out of me. I was worried about my best friend, possibly dying, but I also knew Bane. He was a fighter. Men like him didn''t give up easily.


    Aife, however, looked like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. The mere seconds I spent taking in the scene were enough for me to silently plead with the Moon Goddess to make it possible to save Bane.


    Not from losing his life. No. I needed her to save him from something so evil and sinister, I feared the frail woman crying for him was the only one who could really do it. Shaking my head, I came back to my senses and noticed the men surrounding Bane.


    I instantly broke through them and started barking out themands. "Let the doctors approach him, stop swarming like damn bees. They need space to work, damn it!"


    Some of the men willingly stepped aside, but some refused to. I made sure those who remained close were of good use to doctors and helped.


    "He''s alive, in a bad shape, but alive. We need to get him to the main house first. Once he''s there, we can bring him to the hospital wing and look at the blood supply we have. The Alpha should be as good as new by tomorrow," the doctor exined.


    Hearing his words felt as if a massive weight fell from everyone''s shoulders. I wasn''t the only one who was worried about Bane''s health. Everyone around the pack loved him - as vicious as he was, Bane was fair.


    "We will need to run some tests to check why the Alpha isn''t healing, but that too, can be done only in the hospital." The doctor muttered.


    I tore my gaze away from my best friend''s pale face and red at the doctor. "We know why he isn''t healing, there''s no need to bring this up in front of everyone here." ring at the men around us, I made sure to add a threatening growl to my words, "am I clear?"


    Everyone instantly nodded their heads.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, I tried to ground myself. Perhaps that was what I really needed because now, I noticed the sudden absence of Aife. She was just lying on his chest, wasn''t she?


    Looking around, I couldn''t see her anywhere, probably because the men took up too much space for me to notice her.


    "Where is Luna?" I asked loud enough for everyone to hear me.


    The men exchanged nces, but none spoke up, so I repeated myself. "Where is Luna?"


    "What are you talking about? We don''t have a Luna," one of the youngest men spoke up.


    I recognized him as the lead of the patrol. He had arrived home yesterday, after spending six months in the forests, missing every single thing that happened around here in time of his absence. Although I knew I shouldn''t be angry at him since the kid didn''t know anything, the fact that he didn''t wouldn''t rid him of responsibility if he did anything.


    The growl that tore out of me shook the windows. "The woman lying on his chest is Luna, you moron! Where is she?" I shouted so loud, my throat felt as if it was ripping apart.


    His eyes widened in realization. I could see how his hands started shaking as he attempted to speak, "I - I," was all he could say.


    I shot up to my feet and stomped towards him. Just as I was in front of him, I grabbed his throat and roared, "what did you do?"


    His face turned just as pale as Bane''s. But unlike my best friend, who was literally dying, this guy was scared shitless.


    "I yanked her off Alpha, I- I didn''t know."


    I released my hold on him and frantically looked around the kitchen. There was this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad had happened and god damn it, I was right.


    Aife was in the furthest corner of the kitchen, sitting against the wall, eyes closed.


    I instantly rushed to her side and sank to my knees. Carefully cing a hand on her cheek, I tilted her head to see if she would react. Then, I gently tapped my hand against her other cheek, but she didn''t wake up.


    Seeing my struggle, the doctor appeared next to me and took over. He promised she was fine, just got a bad hit to her head and it would be better if she rested.


    When he reluctantly nced at me, I already knew what woulde next before the words spilled over his lips. "Rex is in trouble for this, is he?"


    A bitter chuckle left me. "Don''t ask me. Ask your Alpha when he wakes up and you exin to him how one of your boys yanked his Luna off him and literally threw her against the wall. What do you think fucking will happen? Bane will give him a fucking medal for his heroic actions?"


    The doctor looked away in shame, his shoulders dropped. "The boy didn''t know."


    "That''s something you''ll have to exin to Alpha, not me. Pray the gods there are no consequences and she wakes up as good as new."


    "We should get them both to the hospital wing then. The men are carrying Alpha out the door right now, do you need any help with Luna?" He muttered, still looking away. "No," I barked and scooped Aife in my arms.


    I couldn''t help but feel guilty. Just hours ago, she looked so happy and free, but now, once again, she was hurt because of our pack.


    No matter how hard we tried, idents kept happening and she wasn''t the only one who was suffering.


    Sometimes, I felt like the Goddess enjoyed watching our misery. We really tried being better, we tried to change and give the women in our pack the best lives possible.


    Deep down, I knew it sounded ridiculous. Knowing how women came to our pack, what Bane and many of us had done, my statements sounded like bullshit, but they really weren''t. Every time this pack managed to take one step forward, the mistakes from the past that weren''t even ours threw us two steps back. That was why I hoped that Aife was the key.


    Once upon a time, I hoped the same thing about Milly, but she proved us all otherwise. I didn''t have much hope in anything changing, but I still held onto the bit we had with all my might. One person couldn''t change and fix generations of never ending issues and desperation, but seeing the person Aife was, I wished she could.


    Unlike Milly, Aife was pure, and it wasn''t only about her body. Aife wasn''t ruined by the ugly truths of the word, she was selfless, empathetic and overall a good person.


    She was everything we weren''t.


    Everything we wanted to be.

 80: I hope you hate me.

    **Aife


    pov**


    My head was pounding. I felt like I was run over by a truck or close to whatever felt like having your head being bashed against the wall at least a million times. Cautiously, I opened my eyes. Someone squeezed my hand so I tilted my head a little, ignoring the pain, and tried to smile as Zion gazed back at me. "You''re okay, god, you''re okay,¡± he whispered the words, sounding like an insane relief just washed all over him.


    Somehow, I managed to nod in response. My throat felt too dry to speak, so I didn''t bother to even try.


    As if sensing my difort, Zion let go of my hand and shot to his feet. He grabbed a bottle of water, unscrewed the lid and dropped a straw inside it.


    The moment the straw touched my lips, I realized how thirsty I was. I had no idea how much of that water I managed to gulp down before Zion pulled the bottle away, but it didn''t feel like enough.


    "Hold your horses, littledy, there''s no need to rush," he chuckled as he set the bottle on the nightstand next to the bed.


    I gazed at the bottle like it was my most prized possession and already missed the taste of water. No idea how it was possible, but that was how I felt.


    "So, better?" Zion asked as he sat back on the chair and grinned.


    "Yes," I whispered, this time, managing to smile.


    "You scared us a little, but the doc said you''ll be fine. There wasn''t any blood or that sort of stuff, so don''t worry. The guy who threw you against the wall didn''t know who you are, and although this isn''t an excuse, he was panicking and kind of tried to help his Alpha."


    As Zion exined what had happened, memories came flooding back in. Bane was hurt, he wasn''t healing and I was trying to keep him awake until someone would arrive and help him.


    The next thing I remembered was being yanked off him and then, the darkness.


    "Is he okay?" I asked.


    Zion''s face twisted in disgust. He huffed as if I offended him. "Why would you ask anything about him? His well-being doesn''t matter, not after he literally assaulted the pack''s Luna. Just because he didn''t know who you are doesn''t mean he can rid himself of the damn consequences."


    My eyes widened a little. Somehow, Zionpletely misunderstood what I was asking. "I meant Bane," I added.


    Zion literally facepalmed himself and chuckled. "Right, I''m an idiot, sorry. Bane''s okay. He woke up a few hours after the doctors fixed him up and pumped blood into that motherfucker. He didn''t leave your side until I came and told him to go home, take a shower and change into something that isn''t soaked with blood. I promised to stay at your side until he returns. I think he should be back anytime soon, it''s been a while since he left."


    Just as I parted my lips to ask Zion why Bane wasn''t healing, the sound of someone clearing their throat broke the moment.


    I nced at the door to see Bane standing by it. His hair was still wet, so I assumed he didn''t bother to dry off as he rushed back here.


    "You can go and check on Rex, I''m good to stay,¡± Bane ordered Zion.


    The only thing that really felt off was that Bane didn''t bother to look at me. It was as if his eyes deliberately avoided me.


    "I''lle backter to check on you," Zion muttered, stood up and left.


    Next weird thing was the odd tension between those two. Usually, no matter how much they butted their heads, Zion and Bane werefortable around each other. Now, it felt like they had built a wall between them.


    Whatever happened between them had to be something big. Maybeter, I could get a moment with Zion and ask him for some answers.


    That is, if Bane would agree to leave my side.


    But then again, if I judged by how he was avoiding my gaze, it didn''t look like he was too keen on staying around me for longer than needed. My eyes didn''t leave Bane as the door behind him closed and Zion disappeared.


    After a moment of extremely tense silence, Bane cleared his throat again, ran a hand through his messy hair and started walking towards me. His eyes were focused on the floor, not once gazing up at me, even when he took the seat where Zion had just been sitting while talking to me.


    Bane''s hand trembled as he slowly lifted it enough to take my hand in his. Still, without looking at me, Bane muttered a weak, "I''m so sorry."


    Yet another apology, but this one surprised me more than any I had heard from him before, mainly because I wasn''t sure if he had anything to apologize for.


    "If I had called someone from the main house toe around and get me out of there while I still had enough strength, you wouldn''t be lying in the hospital bed. You''re hurt because of me. I''m so sorry that happened," Bane exined. "It''s not your fault," I instantly blurted out.


    I wasn''t trying to calm him down or make Bane feel better about himself. I was telling him the truth. What happened was an ident, even Zion imed the guy who yanked me off Bane didn''t know he wasn''t supposed to touch me.


    As much as I disagreed with the idea of being the pack''s Luna, the title came with some pretty big things I could use to my advantage.


    Sadly, after what happened in that kitchen, I wasn''t so sure about what I wanted anymore. Those few moments Bane''s humanity poked through the blinds of his darkness made me want to be close to him.


    Maybe I was sick in the head for wanting something I shouldn''t want.


    A part of me wanted to seek revenge for what he had done. The other part, yeah, that one was messed up and confused.


    "It is my fault, we both know it," Bane muttered as his shoulders slugged and a choked sound left him. "I thought about something. I thought about it yesterday and even more, today, while you were sleeping here and I couldn''t do anything to help."


    Something in my chest squeezed. How was it possible that I almost knew what could be his next words? The same words I dreamed of hearing him say now were the same words I dreaded the most.


    "Bane, look at me," I whispered as gently as I could.


    Slowly, he lifted his head and his gaze met mine. His eyes were puffy and red, as if he had cried for hours, and now, tears brimmed them.


    Seeing him show his vulnerability like this was truly surprising, but in a way, just as much endearing.


    Men like Bane didn''t show so many emotions unless they really felt them, and felt them deep.


    I watched his Addam''s apple bobble as Bane swallowed and then licked his lips. "If you want to go, you''re free to leave. I can''t hold you here against your will. Not anymore. The same with other women - they''re free to leave if they choose to do so. I feel something," Bane whispered and brought his hand to the middle of his chest. "Here. I try not to, but the feeling isn''t fading, no matter how much I''m trying to shove it away. And the longer I looked at you lying here, the clearer I saw how many mistakes I''ve made, how much I mistreated you."


    Bane squeezed my hand and looked away, clearly overwhelmed. "I hope you hate me, because I would. I hope you despise me and will never forgive me. And even more than that, I hope that after you leave, you will nevere back. Even if I break and go after you, I''m begging you, don''te back. Ever. No matter what I say or do to win you over, don''t let me in."

 81: He is getting too strong.

    **Bane


    pov**


    My pleas shocked her speechless, but I couldn''t me her. I was throwing so much on Aife''s shoulders, I truly felt genuinely guilty for what I was doing.


    Ever since I woke up, I couldn''t think of anything but her. Somewhere along the way of losing my consciousness and being brought back by her, I was sure I died and faced a real angel.


    At one point, I realized it was her. It was her who fought for me, her who called for help, and her who cried on my chest while begging for me not to die.


    After everything I had done, she still remained by my side...


    Aife had an amazing opportunity to get away from me, but she didn''t. She chose my life over her own freedom, and as selfish as it sounded, I wasn''t sure if I could ever forgive her for the choice she made.


    She was too good to be trapped here and ruined by the darkness that surrounded us all.


    And while I fought with my stupid emotions, he got only stronger. He was fighting to hurt Zion, but after my eyes set on Aife sleeping on that couch yesterday, he grew restless, obsessed.


    I had to get her as far away from me as possible. The sooner the better.


    "If I could turn back time, if only I could predict what would happen after taking you away from that pack, I wouldn''t have done anything. It''s toote to regret what has been done, just know I would change it all if I had the power to do so. You''re finally free," I muttered thest words, struggling to swallow around the lump in my throat.


    Slowly, I pulled my hand away from hers, stood up and left the room.


    This back and forth bullshit I kept pulling on her was tiring. Surely, it had to be worse for her, that much I knew, so it was better if she left this god forsakennd.


    I tried. I fucking tried to be the man I wanted to be, but every time I pushed back, the darkness came back twice as strong.


    And sadly, one of the things I had noticedtely was that it was growing even stronger the more time I spent around Aife. The more I tried to open up to her and get closer, the more aggressive it became.


    At this point, if I chose to remain as selfish as I had been all this time, it would harm only her. My own issues would be her downfall.


    I hated admitting this, but I had grown too fond and hopeful of her. I couldn''t let my feelings rule my mind and pull her into the abyss of destruction I was heading to.


    Rounding the corner, I ran into someone. "My bad," I muttered without looking at the person.


    Strong hands grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "Bane, what the hell is wrong with you? Did something happen to Aife? Why did you leave her alone?" Zion shouted.


    Recognizing his voice, I looked into my best friend''s eyes and the sense of the overwhelming guilt hit me with new strength. He too had suffered because of me, more than anyone else, yet he chose to remain by my side. Zion was too loyal to know what was better for him. My entire pack was the same.


    A damn slideshow of memories shed before my eyes, proving time and time again how unfit I was of the title I held. I was no Alpha, I was a disease, a curse they didn''t deserve.


    "I set her free," the words felt heavy, almost unreal.


    Expecting Zion to smile, to tell me I was making the right decision, I felt truly let down by the reaction that was nothing of the sort of what I wanted.


    "Have you lost your goddamn mind?" He hissed, digging his fingers into my shoulders.


    I didn''t fight him or try to break out of his hold. If Zion was about to lose his cool and attack me, the least I could do was take it. Everything he had to give.


    But he didn''t attack me. Zion just held me and looked at me with nothing but disappointment in his eyes.


    "He is getting too strong. It''s not safe. I told you she''s safe with me, but she isn''t. Yesterday, when he saw her, something in him clicked. He had never craved blood as much as he wanted hers yesterday. I don''t think I can hold him back for any longer. No one is safe around me."


    Admitting defeat was hard, especially with something I had fought against my entire life. Years of never ending battle with the darkness that followed every step I took finally took a toll on me.


    I was tired. Tired of fighting, holding back, and most importantly - living with a secret that would take me to an early grave.


    "You didn''t tell her why you''re doing this, did you?" Zion asked, pulling me back to reality.


    I shook my head.


    "So you didn''te clean with her? Just sent me away to sit down and tell her that after killing her family and entire pack, you''re pretty much tired of ying around with the poor girl so now you''re throwing her out like a broken toy?" His voice kept growing louder with each word passing his lips.


    Zion probably wanted the entire pack to hear his anger, not that I could me him.


    He, the same as me, had grown veryfortable with her presence. But, unlike me, Zion looked at her as the older brother would look at his baby sister.


    "Some secrets are better left untold, my friend. I rather have her hate me and run than let me take even the tiniest space in her heart, even if only for pity. I can''t risk hering back here. It''s too dangerous. If I need to lie and hurt her to save her, that''s exactly what I will do. I pulled her into this mess, so I have to fix it."


    I spoke nothing but the truth, but I couldn''t bring myself to look into his eyes. I had taken too much from him already.


    As much as it pained me, I let out a breath and muttered the words I dreaded more than anything. "Maybe you should go with her too. Me and you both know what will happen next."


    "Hell, no. She''s special and she''s not leaving. Neither am I," Zion argued.


    "Listen," I started, but he cut me off.


    "No, you listen. She had a prime chance to leave yesterday while you were bleeding your ass off on the kitchen floor. And she didn''t. She stayed with you, shielded you while you were at your most vulnerable and this is how you react? I mean, do you even hear yourself? You need to get yourself checked or some shit, because right now, you''re not fighting your darkness, you''re feeding it."


    He was right. I was, in fact, feeding it as I pushed everyone who mattered away from me. If the darkness were to take anyone, I wouldn''t allow it to have more than me.


    Zion pulled his hands away from me and stepped aside. "Go and get some sleep. We will talk about the measures you want to take after your bloody nap. In the meantime, I will go and talk to Aife. If she chooses so, she can leave. If she doesn''t, well, suck it up, buttercup, she ain''t leaving."

 82: I think you are the key.

    **Aife pov**


    It literally felt like seconds from when Bane left the room and Zion barged back inside. Maybe I was too out of it to follow time in this state, but it really felt as if none had passed. "You''re leaving?" Zion panted, still standing by the door.


    Slowly, I shook my head. "I don''t think I''m in the right state to leave. I mean, I could if he really wants me gone, but I doubt my ability to fight if I happen to run into rogues or any other danger that roams the forests."


    Our world was a dangerous ce. No one could be fully safe even living among the packs, let alone walking around alone without being a part of a bigger group.


    The statement about living in the pack was too true for me.


    "Thank fuck," Zion sighed and pressed his back against the door. I watched him slowly slide down against the door until his butt hit the floor.


    His knees were nearly touching his chest as Zion held the sides of his head, clearly distressed.


    "You can''t leave. This will sound stupid, but I think you are the key," he muttered.


    My eyebrow shot almost as high as my hairline. What was the nonsense he was spewing now? Why, all of a sudden, I was an object?


    In a way, for a while, Bane had treated me as nothing but an object, but he never called me a key. Funny, I couldn''t open a locked door even if I tried, so I definitely couldn''t be a key to anything.


    "And I think you are slowly losing your mind. Listen, I don''t know how it feels to have a real sibling, but I look up at you like a big brother. That means a lot, doesn''t it? So, as someone who views you as the older sibling, I''m obligated to tell you something... Zion, don''t panic, but I think you are losing your mind. Perhaps it''s about time you check into a mental facility? I''m no mental health expert, but I believe that running around and calling people keys isn''t healthy." Where was this confidenceing from? First, I started talking back to Bane, as rarely as I did, I still did it, and now, I was giving Zion an actual lecture.


    To be fair, I had no idea how much time had passed since Bane took me here, but maybe I was so close to my birthday that it was my wolf, slowly surfacing and giving me the push I needed?


    "You''re funny," Zion huffed.


    "And being dead serious," I quickly added as I lifted my hand enough to poke a finger at my temple. "You need to get checked up here. Something''s definitely wrong there."


    Zion rolled his eyes andughed at me. Once theughter died, he turned so serious, it was a little scary. He red at me as if he was a man on a mission.


    "Nothing''s wrong up there, I see a therapist weekly, all my issues are resolved. As for what I just told you, I can''t tell you more unless Bane specifically tells me to. To avoid too many details, he has some secrets, some very dark and dangerous secrets. You might think he''s acting like a lunatic because he''s a dick, which for the record he sure is, but that''s not the reason. It''s-"


    Zion''s eyes widened as he barely caught himself before he could spill the said secrets. It was so disappointing. I was literally holding my breath, waiting for any information and hints he could give me.


    He shook his head. ¡°All I can say is that you''re needed here. I understand that must sound stupid, outrageous even given how you were dragged here against your wishes, but if you meant what you said about looking up at me as your big brother, just try to trust me this once."


    "I can trust you with my life, but that wouldn''t change anything. Bane doesn''t want me here, so I think I will take him up on his offer and leave once I get better."


    "Bane doesn''t know what he wants," Zion argued. "I sent him to get a damn nap. At this point, I''m treating my Alpha like I would a toddler. He''s tired..."


    Those twost words were oddly heavy. Unlike everything else Zion had said, those words echoed against the walls and hit me with such strength, all I knew was that the words meant a lot to him.


    But why? I understood that being an Alpha had to be hard, but that wasn''t what Zion meant. His words held a hidden meaning, one I probably couldn''t figure out on my own.


    What irritated me the most was the secrecy. I disliked Bane for the things he had done and while I knew it had to be a result of going insane, I kind of, maybe, liked him a little too. But just only a little. Sometimes, my delusional mind made me think he liked me too. But if that were to be true, wouldn''t hee clean with me and let me choose if I wanted to stay or not?


    What Zion didn''t understand was that I most likely was of no use for Bane, hence why he didn''t want me to stay around for any longer.


    "Aife, he needs you here. I need you here. We all do."


    "Why?" I snapped back at him, a little more aggressively than I intended.


    Zion averted his gaze and whispered, "I can''t tell. Please, understand that I can''t."


    I shook my head. "I can''t stay around people who keep lying to me. How do you suppose I can live in peace, knowing there are so many secrets kept from me? What if you''re right, huh? What if those secrets he has are so dark, twisted and dangerous that I end up being hurt? How can I escape or fight something I don''t see or know anything about?"


    "You''re right," Zion sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I''m sure he will tell you once he knows he can trust you. It''s a big thing, you know. Even most of the pack members are in the dark about it. Very few people know his secret."


    I wanted to act like a brat and stand my ground, but once again, I was hit with an overwhelming sense of guilt. It only grew stronger when Zion added, "you saved him, you know? The weirdest thing is that you saved him after he tried to save you from himself."


    Now, I was speechless. Any idea about Bane and his character I had before disappeared the very instant Zion''s eyes met mine. He looked like he was in so much pain, I couldn''t describe it.


    "All I''m asking from you is to stay with us for a little longer. If you choose to leave, so be it, just don''t do it out of spite. Give him a chance." Zion muttered as he slowly raised to his feet and stepped closer to the bed.


    "I understand you believe he doesn''t deserve the chance he never gave you, but if I really mean anything to you, I beg you to do this for me. Not for him, not for you, but for me. Bane is trying so hard not to love and feel, I believe you are the only person who could show him how truly wrong he is. He deserves happiness, but so do you. Call me mental, but I believe that''s exactly what you can give to each other - happiness."

 83: You are my Luna.

    **Aife


    pov**


    After his big speech, Zion left me to think. I didn''t get much alone time since he sent a guy to bring me food and sit around until I finished the meal.


    I wasn''t hungry. In fact, I couldn''t remember thest time I felt hungry at all.


    And yet, I managed to force the food down pretty fast, hoping to get rid of the haunting eyes that didn''t leave me for a moment.


    The man didn''t look threatening, but there was something off about his eyes. Bane''s eyes were empty of emotions but these... I didn''t know how to describe them. Perhaps a predator, watching its prey, ready to pounce any moment?


    "Rex is my friend," he suddenly spoke, startling me.


    I nced at him and swallowed, raising an eyebrow in a silent question. Was I supposed to know who he was talking about?


    "The guy who got you here. I mean the one who hurt you," he rified.


    "Is he okay?" I didn''t know why I asked, but for some reason I cared. After Zion exined what had happened, I really didn''t want the guy to get in trouble for trying to save Bane. "Wait," the man dragged the word, a little taken aback. "You actually care?"


    I nodded, unsure of where this conversation was going.


    The next moment, he raised his hand, as if he needed a moment to process. "So you''re telling me that you care if he''s okay even after he hurt you badly enough for you to end up in a hospital?" Once again, I nodded. He didn''t need my words to get the answers.


    "Shit," the man hissed, running his hand through his hair. "Beta Zion was right, you''re really too good to be one of us. I came here thinking I would have to give you a piece of mind about how unfair it is that Rex was taken to the cells and you''re living a life of luxury, but it turns out you''re a decent person. Wow."


    I tilted my head to the side as I took him in. He looked like he hadn''t slept at least for a week, had dark circles under his eyes and one of his cheeks appeared a little swollen.


    There were plenty of things about this pack I didn''t know and couldn''t understand, but all the men that lived in the main building looked pretty much the same - rough.


    "I didn''t ask for anything, if that''s what worries you. I didn''t ask for him to be punished for what he did. In fact, I believe he did the right thing. Maybe a little too aggressively, but still the right thing," I tried to brighten the situation a bit. His eyes focused on me. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean that he did what had to be done. I was a mess, everyone knows that. I remember the initial shock I felt when I found Bane lying on the floor, so I would guess that I wasn''t exactly cooperative. Someone had to get me away from Bane to help him. It is only logical that every obstacle will be removed to save the Alpha." I shrugged.


    Just because I didn''t agree with plenty of things this pack deemed normal and necessary didn''t mean I didn''t understand basic things.


    Back home, if my father were still alive and needed help in a critical situation, his men would do the same thing without minding one''s title.


    "But is he okay?" I repeated the question before he could ask more of his.


    He looked away and shook his head, "no, he''s not okay. Cells aren''t a yground, you know."


    Gulping, I recalled my experience in those cells. Goosebumps instantly covered my skin as shivers ran through me. "Yeah, I remember. Can we get him out of there?"


    The haunting eyes met mine again. "Get him out?"


    I nodded. "Yes. Is there a way we could get him out? Maybe I could ask Zion to release him?"


    He hummed as the corner of his mouth twitched in a suppressed smile. "You are Luna. You don''t need to ask for anyone''s permission if you want to release a prisoner, especially if you''re the reason why he''s been sent to the cells." To my surprise, his hand reached out and grabbed mine. Suddenly, his eyes were so full of hope and desperation, I instantly realized Rex had to be more to this man than just a friend. "Would you really do that? Would you risk the anger of the Alpha for Rex?"


    The chuckle that escaped my lips surprised even me. Instead of pulling my hand out of his grip, I squeezed his hand to reassure the desperate man. "The Alpha''s anger is something I''ve grown used to. Some sacrifices are worth taking. How about you pass me my clothes, they''re on that chair, turn around, and wait for me to get dressed? We can go to the cells together."


    Hearing my words, he moved faster than the lightning. He was up and running to the chair in less than a second.


    Just as I asked him, the man gave me the clothes, took away the empty te and turned around, impatiently waiting for me to get dressed.


    I took my time removing the hospital gown and slipping back in the clothing. Once I was ready and told him he could turn around, the man all but ran to get my sneakers and even kneeled in front of me to slip them on. "That''s not necessary," I tried to protest.


    He shot me a re that warned me not to argue and then grinned. "It is my pleasure to help Luna. Especially now that you''re willing to go above and beyond for someone who means so much to me. I must admit, when I first heard about Alpha iming you as Luna, just like others, I refused to ept you. But now, you have me in your corner. You are my Luna. I swear to stand by your side and protect you even if the price I pay is my own life."


    My heart squeezed in my chest listening to the sincerity behind his words. Even people from my pack never said things as such, and I was supposed to be the Alpha.


    Come to think of it, maybe it was a lie. Perhaps it was an empty promise, a facade my father built to keep me at bay. After all, he was nning to marry me off to Killian... The man helped me out of the bed and held my hand as he led me towards the door.


    "My name is Aife, by the way," I muttered, attempting to ease the tension that suddenly started suffocating me.


    "It''s a beautiful name, Luna. My name is Rodrigo, I am the night patrol leader," he offered me a grin as he opened the door for me.


    I realized that I didn''t know much about patrols, which was yet another reason for me to think some of the things from my past might have been lies. Wasn''t the future Alpha supposed to know everything about the pack system? Stuck in my thoughts, I didn''t notice how we reached the cells until the guards stopped us. To my surprise, both men bowed once they noticed me.


    ¡°State your business, Rodrigo," the guard to the right barked.


    Rodrigo stepped aside and gestured to me, letting me know I had to speak up. I cleared my throat and smiled. "Good day, gentlemen, we came here to ensure Rex is released. He isn''t supposed to be locked here, he didn''tmit a crime." Both guards exchanged nces. "But the Alpha-"


    Before they could tell me more, I raised a hand to silence them and shook my head. "Don''t think about the Alpha. This is my decision, mymand if you may, and if any trouble follows my decision, I take the full responsibility of whatever is toe. Now, could you please walk us to the cell? I''m feeling a little weak today, so the sooner we are done with this, the better."

 84: Kick me out of your pack, Alpha.

    **Aife pov**


    Although taken aback, the guards led us down the hall, towards where the ce smelled of blood, piss and vomit the most.


    For some reason, the guy, Rex, was thrown in the worst part of the cells. The more time I spent down here, the more sure I was he didn''t deserve this treatment.


    As soon as we stopped in front of the cell, the guy looked at us, eyes wide, shock evident all over his features.


    My heart clenched. He looked so young, still a child, yet thrown into an awful ce like this.


    "Luna, did youe here to hear me apologize? Please, believe me when I say I am truly, deeply sorry for hurting you. I never meant to. And I didn''t know who you were until it was toote. I''m begging you, forgive me," he instantly started sobbing and dropped to his knees.


    I couldn''t take the view. He didn''t deserve this.


    "I didn''te here to hear apologies that aren''t needed. You did the right thing, even if the Alpha doesn''t agree with it. I came here because someone very special is worried about you. The guards are releasing you today," I tried to smile and failed.


    No matter how much I could force myself, I couldn''t smile at a view like this. Ever.


    "Release me? But the Alpha-" he tried to protest while the guards unlocked the cell.


    "It doesn''t matter. Whatever the consequences are, those are my problem, not yours or the guards, or anyone but me at that matter. I want you out of here."


    As soon as the cell door opened, Rex jumped at me. He pulled me into the tightest hug ever as he sobbed on my shoulder and a mix of apologies and thank you''s left him.


    I allowed him to have his moment, not moving even a bit. Honestly, I didn''t feel worthy of the title these people were handing me, but if I could use it to help someone, I would.


    When Rex finally calmed down, he turned to Rodrigo and a new wave of tears rolled down his pale cheeks. He threw his arms around the man and sobbed, muttering something under his breath.


    It was a truly heartbreaking moment to watch them hold each other as if their lives depended on how close they could get to one another.


    And yet, as heartbreaking as it was, I felt a sudden sense of happiness. One I hadn''t felt for a long time, one that encouraged me to keep going and follow my heart.


    Funny how this same feeling pushed me to stay around. For some reason, everything that had happened, especially the things Bane did, didn''t matter. Maybe I was as delusional as one could get, but I felt like I was where I had to be. Like I belonged here. Like I was needed and wanted here. And maybe, just maybe, it would prove to be right. I couldn''t be too blind and hopeful, but what if Zion was right and I could find my own happiness here?


    Recent ideas that circled my mind were nothing but blunt reminders that everything I thought my life would be was nothing but an illusion.


    The ns of the Moon Goddess weren''t written anywhere for us to read, so all I could do was try and trust that she truly had a n for me.


    By the time Rex stopped crying, he looked beyond exhausted. I suggested Rodrigo should take him to his room to rest, but he didn''t seem too keen to follow my suggestion.


    "But Luna, you''re still too weak to roam around alone. We need to get you back to the hospital first," he protested.


    I shook my head and smiled. "From the looks of it, Rex is the one who needs the rest more than me. I can find my way around here. If not, I''m sure one of the guards could give me directions. Besides, I don''t feel like going back to that room again."


    Their eyes widened, even the guards. Rodrigo looked at me in pure disbelief. "But you need to return to the hospital." He kept insisting.


    "No, I don''t," I chuckled. "I would go there willingly if I would feel so bad that I would need medical care. If I return, all I''ll do is take up space that might save someone''s else''s life." "What do you mean?" Rex asked.


    My gaze focused on him. I couldn''t help but feel guilty for what he had to suffer all because of me.


    "First, I think you should get checked by the doctors. But what I meant is that I''m not hurt badly enough toy around in the hospital. You never know what might happen when you expect the least. Trust me, packs need as much free space as they can get. If an attack happens, that space and doctors attention can save lives. I believe a life-threatening situation is more important than a headache."


    And again, all of them stared at me as if I had grown another head. What was with these people acting so weird? Or was it me, who kept spewing nonsense they didn''t believe in?


    "Now I understand why he chose you," Rex muttered, catching me off guard.


    I raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry? I don''t get it."


    Rex chuckled and shook his head as he stepped away from Rodrigo and stepped closer to me. He stopped right in front of me, threw his arms around me and pulled me into another hug. "You are the light to his darkness," he whispered. It looked like everyone loved following their Alpha''s example with secrets and never saying things as they were.


    Just when Rex released me and took a step back, the pleasant moment was ruined by a loud growl, startling us all.


    I looked in the direction where it came from, and to my surprise, I smiled. Bane stood not too far from us, red in the face, clearly angry.


    Apparently, he didn''t listen to Zion when his Beta sent him to have a nap.


    Before Bane could do anything stupid, I reached my hand in his direction and spoke. "Come, help me get out of here and walk me to the gardens. I need some fresh air."


    At first, he lookedpletely shocked, but then, he shook it off and rushed towards me. Something shed in his eyes as he walked closer to me looking like a man on a mission.


    Bane red at the men surrounding me, but once his eyesnded on me, his gaze softened. Clearly, he had a different understanding of helping me get out of here than I did.


    Instead of holding my hand and walking away, Bane scooped me in his arms and carried me away. I thought he would say something mean to the guards and my new friends, but he didn''t. That fact alone was a relief.


    "I need to get you back to the hospital," Bane muttered as he started walking up the stairs.


    I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head against his chest. "No, I don''t need a hospital. I need fresh air and positive emotions. No need to return there."


    "But-"


    "No," I whispered before he could give me a piece of his mind. "Besides, you were supposed to take a nap and you''re skipping it. So, I''m following your example of not listening to what others think will be better for me." "Yeah, our situation is different."


    "Hardly."


    He did listen to me and carry me outside. Oddly, I felt like this was the first time in years I got to simply enjoy a moment outside.


    Bane carried me towards the bench under an oak tree. I thought he would set me down, but instead, he sat down himself and held me in hisp. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me a little closer to his chest. "What were you doing down there?"


    "Convincing the guards to let Rex go. The crime didn''t fit the punishment."


    I could feel a growl form in Bane''s chest, but he managed to suppress it. "I disagree," he spat after a moment.


    I was toofortable and rxed to argue with him, so I just closed my eyes and let myself enjoy the moment. This could be my first andst chance to have one with Bane. "Whatever, my opinion is supposed to matter too. Take this one time as thest. Now, stop sulking and let me nap on you. After I wake up, you can kick me out of your pack, Alpha."

 85: When she would leave me.

    **Bane pov**


    I tried to sleep. I really tried.


    It was funny how Zion, acting like a mother and sending me into a timeout of a nap, wasn''t what kept me awake as it usually would.


    The reason why I couldn''t sleep was her.


    Every time I closed my eyes, I could see the sheer shock and disappointment on her face when I told her she was free to go.


    For a brief moment, I allowed myself to believe that it wasn''t what she wanted. That she needed to stay here and build a happy future, but even I wasn''t mad enough to believe that.


    When the thoughts became too much, I gave up on the idea of having any rest and headed to the hospital. I promised myself I wouldn''t enter the room, all I needed was to check if she had any food and how she was feeling. And maybe I wanted to know if she had mentioned anything about when she would leave me. I mean, when she would leave the pack territory.


    *Fuck, Bane, pull yourself together, stop being such a pussy. Since when you let a woman rule your emotions like that, huh? Pathetic.*


    The closer I got to the hospital wing, the harder my heart started beating. It had to be fear of a sort that made me feel so paranoid.


    I knew I made the right call by setting her free. It was the right thing to do. But why, against all odds, did it feel so damn wrong?


    Stopping in front of her hospital room door, I took a few breaths and listened. Since no medics were around, I acted like a true creep and waited.


    If no sound woulde, I could peek inside and see if she was asleep. Fast enough not to be noticed.


    After waiting for a while and not hearing a sound, I slowly opened the door and looked inside. Her bed was empty...


    "Fuck," I hissed under my breath, convinced she had taken my words to heart and left the moment I turned my back on her.


    Fear gripped me. No matter how tough I acted and how much I wanted everyone to think I didn''t care - I cared. I fucking cared a lot. And so did my heart that was threatening me to beat straight through my ribcage to leave me and chase behind her.


    Just in the middle of my silent mental breakdown a doctor approached me. "Alpha, are you here to check on Luna? Didn''t Rodrigo tell you she asked to see Rex?"


    The doc looked genuinely surprised, probably as much as I felt. Slowly, I spun on my heel to face him. "What do you mean she asked to see Rex?"


    The doctor started nervously switching his weight from one leg to another as his eyes darted everywhere but at me.


    "Well, that''s exactly what I mean. Luna asked Rodrigo to show her where Rex is kept now. They left the room and headed to the cells not long ago, if you leave now, I''m sure you can catch up with them before she does anything you don''t approve of."


    A chuckle left me. "She does anything I don''t approve of?"


    The doctor grew even more nervous as he nodded his head. "Yes. She''s Luna or at least she will be one soon, and we''re already supposed to listen to her too, you know. Who knows what she has nned. If shemands the guards to release the prisoners they really don''t have the right to say no to her."


    The thought amused me. I didn''t think Aife would go behind my back and release all the prisoners, but I was pretty sure she was on a mission to get Rex out of there.


    She was kind like that, too good to be associated with heathens as us.


    Without offering the doctor more of my time, I advised him to carry on with his responsibilities and headed towards the cells.


    I had to admit that I was a little annoyed, but also excited. Annoyed because she left the hospital before the doctors cleared her. Excited, well, I had plenty of reasons to feel like that - she was still around and on top of that, taking an active role as Luna.


    Maybe one of these days my selfishness would take over and I would keep her against every warning signal that ys in my mind.


    I knew it was a bad idea, but if I even had one, I was nearly sure the leftover of my heart wanted her to stay.


    I ignored everything in my way as I ran down the stairs and found Aife, embraced by Rex. For whatever fucking reason, it pissed me off. I wanted his paws off her. I wanted them off even before I saw that he was touching her.


    The growl that left me startled them all, but while the rest of them jumped away from Aife, she reached her hand towards me and asked me to take her outside.


    I let my instincts take over, scooped her in my arms and carried her away from the dreadful stench. While I was adamant she had to return to the hospital, Aife kept arguing and insisting she wanted to go outside.


    A while ago, I would grow so angry at her for talking back, but now, I actually enjoyed it. I loved the fact that she had found her voice, especially to stand her ground against my words.


    We discussed something, I knew we did, but I couldn''t follow the conversation as I sat down and pulled her body tighter against mine. I knew I answered something, but my mind was in too much of a blur to let me follow the words.


    In this moment, I both loved and hated how perfectly she fit in my arms. It had been so long since someone felt like they were molded for me, but at the same time, knowing everything that was wrong with me, I feared for her safety. Why did the Goddess have to hate me so much to make me feel like Aife was ''it'' for me, just to remind me why it was dangerous to even think of her staying around.


    She muttered something under her breath, but thest words that escaped her lips felt like they were aimed straight at my heart. "After I wake up, you can kick me out of your pack, Alpha."


    Her eyes were closed and she didn''t react as I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to ground myself and breathe out the frustration. Thest thing I needed was to do somethingpletely stupid like mark her and im her as mine fully. I wanted to. Fuck, the Goddess knew I wanted all of that, but going down that road would be a pure insanity on my side.


    In just mere weeks, Aife had grown on me. I had been awful to her since the first day, while she had done nothing but showed kindness and even went out of her way to help someone who had hurt her.


    Not to mention the fact that she saved my life. She saved the man who had abused and tormented her for weeks without asking for anything in return.

 86: Don’t go.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I probably shouldn''t have done that, but instead of sitting and waiting for her to wake up, I carried Aife to our house. Funny how fast I made it ''our'' house, not just mine. Maybe she really did make the damned building feel like home after all...


    Deep down, I knew my decision to set her free was the right thing. That way, I could save her from me, save her from the venomous darkness that surrounded me and the pack. However, my ability to think kept being clouded by how I felt around her.


    After Milly, I didn''t think I could fall for someone, and yet, here I was, pretty sure that I had gotten close to falling if not already tipping over the edge.


    Aife wasn''t just a gush of fresh air. She was rain. She was the unpredictable force that came with the storm and turned everything upside down. Aife was the blessing for desertednds and dying people. She was the water that ensured life around her would thrive.


    I had no right to think of her that way. Fuck it, I had no right to hold her the way I did, but I couldn''t help it. Every time she was at arm''s length, I wanted to grab her and pull her to me.


    The realization I didn''t want to admit slowly sank in. So much that I had to think if there was any way to keep her. Milly was right, I was selfish, I thought only about myself and my needs, and now, I was proving that again.


    Before I could enter the house, Zion caught up with me. He didn''t look too pleased that I didn''t listen to hismand, but kept his voice low so as not to wake Aife.


    "Don''t tell me you''re nning another sick way to punish her," he hissed.


    My eyes focused on Aife and then, back on my best friend. A lump the size of a fist grew in my throat, I couldn''t force words past it, so I just shook my head.


    "Good, because then you would have an entire pack to answer to. Word already got out, they all know she released Rex, the fucker is running around the main building right now and telling everyone how Luna saved him." Zion announced, grinning like a lunatic.


    As d as I was to get an update about what was happening in my pack, I wasn''t sure what I had to do with it and why exactly Zion had to tell me all of those things. Raising my eyebrow, I mouthed a silent, "and?"


    He rolled his eyes at me as if I was an idiot. "And they are uniting forces. That might seem like a pretty foreign concept to you, but let me give an example. Remember how men were with Milly after she happily announced she would be Luna?"


    I took a moment to think back in time. Milly had told everyone even before I was ready to make an announcement, but back then, I wrote it down on her being excited about the new step in our rtionship.


    Come to think of it, she wasn''t shy either, so more often than not, I heard her remind everyone that she was Luna so they had to obey her. That didn''t work out as she nned.


    In fact, her actions brought apletely opposite result. People around the pack started hating her and avoiding being in her presence at all costs.


    Suddenly, a wave of panic surged through me and I held Aife to my chest a little tighter. Were they all nning to do the same thing to Aife? She hadn''t done anything wrong, she really didn''t deserve an attitude like that.


    "Ah," Zion chuckled. "I see the wheels in your head turning. You''re almost there, but now quite, my friend. Whatever ideas are running through your mind, you''re wrong." He added.


    I red at him. If Zion didn''t want to tell me what was happening, why did hee in the first ce? All that beating around the bush bullshit was getting on my nerves.


    "Impatient, are we?" Zionughed and I really, and I mean really, wanted to punch him.


    "Alright, I''ll stop torturing you, promise. I gave you an example just to open your damn eyes without pissing all over you. You see, while Milly was basically outcasted, because let''s face the facts, she was a bitch, Aife is a whole different scenario. Your people are uniting forces for their Luna, not against her. The pack has epted her."


    I was speechless. My jaw nearly hit the ground as I stared at Zion in disbelief.


    My people didn''t take to strangers kindly. We were located away from everyone for a reason and preferred to keep to ourselves.


    "Would you look at how the turns have been tabled. The pack epted her even before their Alpha grew a pair and admitted that he had feelings for the girl. One, green really isn''t your color. Two, why don''t you pull your head out of your ass and admit you''repletely smitten by her, eh?"


    Zion didn''t bother to stay around for long enough to hear my thoughts. Instead, he flipped me off, spun on his heel and hopped away. He actually hopped like a kangaroo.


    That guy... Sometimes, I wondered if I was in sane mind when I asked him to be my Beta. As great of a friend as he was, I wasn''t fully sure a Beta who acted like a madman was what I truly needed.


    I still looked at him hop when Aife shivered and let out a barely audible whimper. It was enough to remind me what I was doing before Zion interrupted me, so I carried her inside the house and upstairs.


    Once I reached the hall, I stopped, ncing between doors. Should I carry her to the guest bedroom or would ours be fine. Fuck, now even the bedroom was ours, not just mine.


    The longer I stood thinking, the more foolish I felt. Since when have I had to think before acting? I always did whatever I wanted and never really doubted my decisions. As a matter of fact, I never really questioned myself either. Never until now.


    Now, it felt like if I made one wrong move, the whole castle would copse on me. Zion was right, I was a bloody goner.


    Sighing, I let my heart rule over my mind and carried Aife to our bedroom. The moment Iid her on the bed, she started shivering again, so I pulled the covers over her.


    For a moment, I stood next to the bed and stared at her like a stalker. Why hadn''t I noticed the truly breathtaking beauty before was beyond me.


    I knew she was pretty, stunning even, but the more I looked, the more I noticed. For example, while hershes were light, some of them appeared longer and darker than the others. She had barely noticeable freckles covering her nose and cheeks, which really suited her.


    And those lips...


    Just one look at her full lips was enough for my body to start acting up, so I knew I had to leave and let her rest. Since I knew myself and was sure I wouldn''t be able to sit around, I decided that I might cook something for her. However, just when I took the first step, Aife reached her hand out to grab my wrist and stop me. "Don''t go, I''m cold."

 87: Vile nature and heinous crimes.

    This missing content is only avable on  This missing content is only avable on  This missing content is only avable on


    That was, until I tried to move and strong arms held me even tighter. "Where are you going?" Bane muttered as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. This missing content is only avable on


    "I need to use the bathroom," I chose the one excuse that worked every time.


    Groaning, Bane pulled his hands away from me andid on his back. He tossed his arm over his eyes and added, "be quick, we still have time to nap some more."


    The childish behavior amused me. As scary as he was, Bane acted like a toddler who begged his parents to allow him to sleep another five minutes.


    This missing content is only avable on


    I tip-toed to the bathroom, hoping I wouldn''t disturb his sleep. As I closed the door behind me and spun around, my eyes widened in shock.


    This missing content is only avable on


    Although Bane hadn''t touched the bedroom and bathroom during his rampage, the entire bathroom was re-done. It wasn''t nearly as fancy as before, more like simple yet elegant.


    What surprised me even more were the rows of feminine products all over the ce. Various shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, hygiene products and many more.


    If I had to analyze the situation based on the bathroom alone, it didn''t look like Bane was too eager to throw me out. Or maybe... What if he was preparing his house for a woman of his choice?


    When I first arrived and Bane sent me to live with women in the rejects housings, one of them mentioned that he was getting ready to choose his Luna.


    This missing content is only avable on


    Now that I actually thought of it, it made sense... In order to invite a woman to live in his house, Bane had to get rid of me. Truly pathetic, that was how I felt.


    This missing content is only avable on


    "Aife?" Bane''s voice on the other side of the door startled me. I jumped away from the door, but kept quiet. Even when he knocked and spoke again, I ignored him. "Are you okay there? Do I need toe in and help you with anything? Did you get hurt?"


    Why, all of a sudden, Bane was this caring man was beyond me.


    This missing content is only avable on


    As much as I enjoyed him being nice, I missed the beast within him. At least the beast didn''t toss me around like a toy and didn''t lie.


    "I''m fine," I called out once I found my voice. "I think I will take a shower before I leave, if that''s okay with you."


    This missing content is only avable on


    Somehow, my captor turned into my only salvation.


    "Can I join you?" Bane asked, ignoring my statement about getting ready to leavepletely.


    This missing content is only avable on


    In all honesty, I didn''t want him to answer. Even despite the fact that a massive part of me wanted to hear the answer, but only the honest one, not some made-up bullshit.


    "Why wouldn''t I want to take a shower with you? Do you hear yourself? A shower equals water and clean bodies, which in turn equals naked bodies," after his exnation, Baneughed.


    How this situation amused him was beyond me, really. Nothing about it made sense or entertained me.


    "You told me to leave and now, you''re asking to take a shower with me? I''m sorry, and I mean I''m only sorry for being rude like this, but what the fuck is wrong with you?"


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    As the silence dragged in, I hoped Bane would leave me be. But of course, that wasn''t his style.


    Bane actually kicked the door open and stalked towards me. His jaw was tight and eyes zed in clear anger. The closer he got, the further away from him I wanted to be, so I kept backing away until my back hit the wall.


    He managed to corner me and he knew that. A slight smirk spread across his lips as Bane stood in front of me and ced his hands on the wall, caging me in without a chance of escape. And then...


    And then, he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. At first, I didn''t react. Unlike other times when he had kissed me, Bane wasn''t forceful. His lips brushed against mine so gently, I felt like I was about to turn into a puddle because of him.


    Slowly, I closed my eyes and gave into the instinct to kiss him back. When my lips moved against his, I could feel his smile as he brought his hands to my waist to pull me closer.


    I threw my arms around his neck and slid my fingers in his hair, giving into the magic of his kiss and touch. There was something special about Bane, that much I couldn''t deny.


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    Perhaps Bane really managed to dig his ws in me...


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    "I''m an idiot. I know these are empty words for you, but I''m sorry. I don''t want you to leave. I made a mistake and I''m fully ready to admit it, own up to it, and suffer whatever consequences there might be. I really don''t want you to leave. And I know there are too many ''I''s'' as I speak, but I''ll try my best to change that. Please, don''t leave me." Bane whispered as his gaze captured mine.


    I couldn''t look away. I tried, but failed. Whenever he looked at me like this, it felt like he could see my deepest, darkest secrets. As if he could see through me, so much so that he could see my soul.


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    "You like the idea of me being here, not me. Admit it. Just admit it and drop the show. There is nothing about me that makes you want to truly keep me around. Bane, you like ying with me and that''s about it. You don''t want me."


    I knew that my words mighte across as a challenge, but I was willing to take that risk. If nothing else, at least I could speak my mind for thest time.


    Expecting any reaction, he showed me one I didn''t even consider. The corner of Bane''s mouth twitched as he pressed his body against mine incredibly close. There was no space left between us and something, possibly his belt, was poking me. I didn''t let my eyes drop to check it, but it was clear Bane wanted me to.


    This missing content is only avable on

 88: A confession.

    **Aife


    pov**


    My breath hitched. No, it didn''t even do just that. Whatever oxygen I was trying to pull into my lungs got stuck in my throat and refused to move anywhere as I realized what Bane was talking about. I still didn''t dare to avert my gaze or look down. He knew how inexperienced I was, he knew no man had ever touched me before, especially the way he already had, let alone went any further. The thoughts that ran through my mind were wild. All of a sudden, my heart started beating so fast, I could hear only the pounding in my ears.


    What scared me the most wasn''t being thrown out as an easy meal for rogues.


    His intentions were what terrified me. I wasn''t ready for this, any of this.


    The more thoughts assaulted my mind, the more out of it I was. Only when Bane grabbed the sides of my head and shouted at me did I realize I had started hyperventting and my eyes were squeezed shut. "Aife, open your eyes. Come on, sweetheart, breathe and open your eyes," he kept repeating.


    A sense of deja-vu hit me. Those were almost exactly the same words I heard when I was first brought here and lost my consciousness on that darn table. It was Bane, it had been Bane all along.


    Somehow, I managed to pry my eyes open and look at him.


    "That''s it, sweetheart, you''re getting there. Now, take deep breaths and exhale as slowly as you can. You can try to do that for me, can you?"


    It was so weird to see Bane so worried and calm at the same time. His voice was barely audible and touch as gentle, it almost felt like he was scared to break me.


    I had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually, I calmed down. That was when an insane wave of embarrassment washed over me. I had a panic attack because Bane made it clear that he wanted to use my body.


    As if he could read my mind, he quickly exined himself. "I wasn''t trying to get in the shower with you just to use your body. I wasn''t grinding against you to talk you into having sex with me. It was a dumb mistake, but I have no idea how else I could prove that I really want you. All of you."


    Looking over his shoulder and focusing my gaze on anything but his face, I muttered a weak, "I''m not ready. Not yet, at least. Don''t ask me when, I have no such answers."


    Bane jumped away from me and raised his hands. "No pressure, no such questions."


    I nodded and finally let out a sigh of relief.


    "I won''t ask you to join you for a shower either. Take your time if you still feel up for it."


    I shook my head. "No. I just wanted to stall a little because, honestly, I have no idea where I could go if you would throw me out. I don''t have a pack to return to, you know. And besides, all these products here-" I caught myself before I said anything stupid.


    Bane frowned and looked around as if he saw the bathroom for the first time. "You mean your products? I had no idea what shiny magic shit you liked so I just ordered everything they had."


    My gaze snapped to Bane. The moment he realized I was staring, his cheeks turned light pink and he brought his hand to the back of his neck to scratch it. "You don''t like anything here, yea?"


    Was it even possible for my eyes to grow any wider than they already were? "My products?" I asked, just to double-check with him.


    "Yeah," Bane dragged. "I mean, I couldn''t say I have that much experience when ites to living with a woman or whatever, but I googled some shit and the blogs say women love loads of products in bathrooms. I might have turned one of the rooms into a craft room if you like that shit, but if you don''t, there is no such thing as a loaded craft room on the main floor of this house."


    A little hesitant, I approached Bane, raised my hand and pinched his cheek. "Ouch, what are you pinching me for?" He hissed, covering his cheek with his hand.


    "I''m just trying to figure out who you are and what have you done to my Bane," I muttered mindlessly.


    I understood my mistake when it was toote. The bright smile that spread across his lips was all the proof I needed to know something cocky was about to spill over them. "Your Bane, huh?" Rolling my eyes, I spun on my heel and walked to the door. "Nevermind."


    Just as I reached for the door handle, Bane appeared behind me and ced his hand on the door to keep me from walking away. "Nope, you don''t get to walk out after making statements like that."


    "It was a question," I corrected him, barely suppressing my own smile.


    "Question, statement, no big difference if the meaning behind your words is still the same,¡± Bane said as his chest pressed against my back. He leaned down and ran his nose over the skin of my neck, inhaling deeply and letting out a deep growl. "Your Bane. I like the sound of that."


    One thing I was sure about was that the shivers that ran over my skin weren''t supposed to set it on fire, but all of a sudden, the exact thing happened.


    My mind understood that feeling attracted to Bane was wrong. He didn''t deserve that. However, it seemed like trying to convince my heart about the same thing was useless.


    "Can you turn around and look at me, please? I believe I have made it pretty clear that I want you, and not only in a physical way. I''m not good at discussing feelings, really, but I have them and I''m pretty sure I feel a lot, very strongly, about you. I''ll be bold enough to assume you might feel the same, maybe less, most likely less, but the same. So," he sighed and stopped rambling for a moment. "I need to confess something before you make any decisions."


    Unsure if it was a good idea, I slowly turned around and looked up at him. I couldn''t read the look on his face, but his eyes didn''t lie - Bane really had a genuine confession, one he was fighting himself to vocalize.


    "I''m listening," I whispered, sort of trying to encourage him.


    His gaze captured me, but all he did was look at me. I could see different emotions sh in them, but his lips didn''t move and the silence that surrounded us slowly became deafening.


    "Bane?" I slowly brought my hand to his cheek and he instantly leaned into my touch. "You can tell me anything. I can''t give you promises about reaction to your confession, but I can promise that I genuinely appreciate honesty. I''m sure we can discuss anything for as long as you''re honest."


    He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath as I held mine, patiently waiting.


    A few seconds passed until he managed to ground himself. Bane opened his eyes to look at me and offered me a sad smile. "I want to tell you," he whispered and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. I could hear him swallow before he continued, "but I''m scared this will change everything."


    I didn''t have to be a genius to understand how much he was struggling. Instead of trying to get away from him and give him an attitude for stalling, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him back. "All I can give you is the promise that I will appreciate your honesty. My reaction depends on how bad your confession is and if it''s even connected to me."


    "Okay," he muttered and hid his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent. For a brief moment, I didn''t believe we could get anywhere with this conversation until he whispered, "your family, I didn''t kill them. They''re alive."

 89: Make him regret that he was born.

    **Aife


    pov**


    If it was possible, my heart just leaped up to my throat and made it the permanent residence. Tears filled my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had heard this lie once before. I could still remember what followed after the words and how stupid I was to believe him.


    Could I believe it again? Could I allow myself to be so vulnerable in his arms and actually trust Bane?


    Things had changed - a lot. There was a massive difference between Bane as a person, as a man, when I first met him, and the man that was holding me now.


    But now, as he was still holding me as if his life depended on our closeness, I couldn''t mutter a word. I tried, opening my mouth and shutting it over and over again, but no words left me.


    "Say something," Bane muttered as his grip around me became tighter. "Please, say something. Anything. A reaction, even if it''s you, attacking me, would be better than silence. Don''t let the silence win."


    He sounded so desperate, but his words did nothing. I was stuck in my mind, trapped in the memories of what those words once meant for me.


    The worst part was that with being kidnapped and locked by Bane, I learned many things about my father, realized and understood even more.


    I loved my family from the bottom of my heart, but standing here, I couldn''t understand if I felt the same about seeing them as I once did. Right after the attack, I wanted nothing more than to get back my family, but now, knowing what my father was nning, I wasn''t that sure anymore.


    "Aife, baby, please," Bane whispered, his voice barely audible, yet clearly breaking.


    I made a sound, but that was all I could force out of myself. My brain turned into a wild mush of thoughts, assumptions, fears and facts.


    How was one supposed to react to confession as such? ''Hey, I kind of killed your entire family before your eyes, but I didn''t so they''re alive.'' Yeah, that sounded ridiculous.


    "I- I think I need time to process this," I finally managed to stammer.


    In response, Bane tightened his hold around me for another few seconds and then, let me go. He stepped aside, his head hung low, "I understand. Take as much time as you need. I''ll be out of your way." Although he sounded truly heartbroken, I couldn''t find it in myself to stop Bane from leaving.


    How did I go from hating this man from the bottom of my heart and genuinely believing he didn''t deserve anything good to pitying him was beyond me.


    No matter how many times I forced myself to focus on his vile deeds, on every thing he did to hurt and humiliate me, my heart found a way to push all of those thoughts away and beat for him.


    And here I was, standing in the bathroom of his house, stunned speechless, realizing that despite everything he had already done and might do in the future, I had fallen for him.


    Somehow, Bane managed to sneak his presence into my heart, and sadly, I was afraid that there was nothing he might do for me to fully let go of the feelings. *Stockholm syndrome, nice to meet you.* Shaking the thoughts off, I focused on what I had nned to do before he entered the bathroom, stripped out of the clothes and stepped inside the shower. I stood under icy-cold water just to force myself back to my senses. When I was feeling a tiny bit better, I got out of the shower, wrapped a towel around myself and slowly walked out of the bathroom.


    Bane wasn''t in the bedroom, but there was a piece of paper left on the bed.


    I approached it cautiously, for some reason, thinking this might be another set-up.


    My hand shook as I grabbed the paper and lifted it from bed.


    *Staying at the main building until you want to see me again. I should probably say IF, not until... Zion wille around to check on you while I''m not around. Let him know how you are feeling, if you need anything or even share your thoughts. I can assure you, he won''t let me know anything unless you tell him I can get some answers. This is the best I can offer, at least for now. Don''t forget to drink plenty of water and eat, your weight loss is worrying me. -Bane* For some reason, this note pissed me off.


    No, scratch that, it wasn''t for ''some'' reason, it was for ''a reason''.


    In a sense, he was still acting like the same, old Bane. He just loved to force his tail between his legs and run out whenever it got too hard for him to handle his own emotions.


    Well, news sh, I wasn''t putting up with that shit anymore. I was done with the cat and mouse games he was continuously ying and even more than that, I was done and so damn over his constant avoidance of problems he caused himself. Actions had consequences, it was something Bane loved to repeat over and over again, yet never let himself believe the facts. Now, as of right now, Bane was about to learn that from me.


    I tossed the note back on the bed, hissed and stomped to the closet. I pulled out one pair of the leggings he had bought for me and his T-shirt.


    As I got dressed, I quickly pulled my hair in a bun and stomped downstairs, just toe face to face with Zion, grinning at me as if he had seen the sun for the first time.


    I pushed him aside and groaned. "Not now. I don''t want your stupidly happy smile to melt my heart and rid me of the anger I feel before I get to unleash it on your Alpha." Zion threw his hands up, and to my surprise, grinned even wider. "Woah, Luna, don''t let me get in your way. You go, girl."


    In fact, Zion went as far as to open the door for me and offered to quickly fetch a red carpet to pump me up even more. Iughed at his antics, but didn''t let him calm me.


    Bane was about to learn a thing or two today and I wouldn''t stop until I made my point loud, and clear. He had the audacity to attach himself to me, and now, he still kept turning his back on me to run away? No, it wouldn''t happen.


    With each step closer to the main building I took, the rage inside me turned stronger and burned brighter. In my thoughts, I went over every single thing Bane had done, every time he rejected me without knowing it and most importantly, all those times he pushed me away.


    The very man, who just held onto me like I was his lifeline decided to push me away again. Nothing angered me more than that.


    Once I reached the main building, the men standing in front of it bowed to me, stopping me in my tracks. A sense of unease washed over me. What was happening?


    Just as I took the first step towards the stairs, the door opened and Rex left the building. As soon as his gaze set on me, he grinned and ran towards me, his arms open for a hug. "Luna, I''m so happy to see you''re feeling better. I was just asking the Alpha if I could see you and thank you for helping me. Also, I wanted to apologize for what I did again, I really didn''t mean to."


    I hugged him back and let the smile slip on my lips. "I''m happy to see you''re doing better too. Could we please talk a littleter, over a cup of tea, perhaps?"


    Rex pulled away from me, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.


    I quickly nced around to ensure no one would hear me as I leaned a little closer and whispered, "I''m kind of on a mission to kick your Alpha''s butt."


    Rex and the guards that surrounded us all broke out inughter, some of them even started howling as if they were trying to hype me up. Stillughing, Rex ran up the stairs, opened the door for me and held it. "You have our support, Luna. Go and make him regret that he was born."

 90: Flash your guards.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I was running from my problems... Again. Well, technically, I was running from problems I caused so that kind of was a bigger deal than I was making it to be.


    The thing was that I seriously couldn''t stomach the look on her face. I just couldn''t.


    *You didn''t even look at her, you coward.*


    This missing content is only avable on


    The voice in my head refused to remain silent. I had to get rid of it, but I had already tried so many times, went through so many scenarios and ideas, and all of them led me to another dead end. This missing content is only avable on


    *Keep dreaming, boy. You''re never getting rid of me. I refuse to leave, I refuse to allow you to be another weakling. You are not the weak link, get that through your thick skull.*


    This missing content is only avable on


    It kept screaming at me even as I wrote the note for Aife, ced it on the bed and left the house. I needed to get away from everything, I needed to be away from her before something horrible happened. This missing content is only avable on


    Rushing towards the main building, I instantly noticed my men surrounding it.


    *Kill, kill, kill them all. Don''t leave anyone standing, kill them!*


    This missing content is only avable on


    "Woah, Bane, buddy, are you okay?" He asked, keeping significant distance between us.


    This missing content is only avable on


    "No. You need to look after Aife while I lock my ass in that office," I pushed the words through gritted teeth.


    This missing content is only avable on


    "Sweating, red eyes, easily irritated. He''s back, isn''t he?" Zion took a step back as his voice echoed against the walls.


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    I nodded again. Zion knew I had found a way to deal with my issues, hence why the office was sound-proof and pretty much built like an underground bunker.


    "Okay," he sighed. "If she wants toe here and talk to you, I won''t hold her back. Even if you''re at your worst, she deserves to know what is going on, so one way or another, she will learn the truth. For now, I suggest you go inside there, lock the damn door and get it out of your system."


    Just as Zion was about to turn around and leave, I stopped him. "She knows the truth about her family. It would be better if someone was with her right now. Clearly, it can''t be me. She trusts you. She views you as a friend. Can I trust you to stay by her side while I can''t?"


    How stupid was it that my heart was literally breaking with every word that left me? I was a selfish piece of shit, but I couldn''t get past the fact that I truly felt my heart breaking simply because I couldn''t be what Aife needed right now. I was the man who took everything from her. Even today, I was still the same man, responsible for the same crime, but somehow, I also turned into the man who wanted to give her all that and more.


    "I can do that, man. She''s safe with me," Zion assured me and left.


    This missing content is only avable on


    Dragging my feet, I walked to the office and locked the door as soon as I entered it.


    The moment my eyes set on the objects in the room, all of them became my enemies. Even pieces of paper and pens - I saw red, it had to be destroyed.


    *I told you to kill the cowards at the door, not the paperclips!* The voice returned.


    This missing content is only avable on


    Ignoring it, I did the only thing I knew how to do properly - destroy. In no time, I managed to turn the entire office upside down. Somehow, I cked out and didn''t realize that I went as far as ripping books in half. This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    The memories betrayed me as they returned in shes - all of them. From the moment I firstid my eyes on her, the fear I saw in her eyes, the tear-stained cheeks, to when I threw her on that table and the list went on.


    I still couldn''t believe that someone as kind as her actually existed. All of those awful crimes Imitted, all the shit I did just to hurt her, and she still was here, even holding me at times.


    Honestly, I was sure that what bothered me the most was the fact that she saved my life. Even while she thought I had taken the lives of those she loved the most, she still fucking spared mine.


    I didn''t deserve her. But I didn''t want to let her go either. How fucked in the head was I?


    *No, not that. You''re pathetic, that''s what you are. You refuse to be a man and kill. You refuse to go after blood and ughter. Weak, you''re so weak, it''s almost sad.*


    The voice was so damn loud, itughed so hard and kept mocking me so brutally, it took me too long to understand that someone was pounding their fist against the office door.


    "Fuck off!" I snarled, hoping that the sudden guest would understand this wasn''t the right time to test my patience.


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    "Open the damn door!" Aife shouted, startling me out of the weird state.


    This missing content is only avable on


    Those were some pretty powerful lungs that woman had if I could actually hear her through the door.


    This missing content is only avable on


    "Bane, I''m not ying around, open this door! Now!"


    This missing content is only avable on


    How did her voice get louder? No, that isn''t even the most confusing thing. Why did the voice in my head suddenly disappear? Was he waiting on me to make the mistake of opening the door just to take advantage of my exhaustion and attack her?


    "I can''t! It''s not safe!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.


    Although I wanted to tell her everything, I wanted to open up and let at least one person know my deepest, darkest secrets; I was scared. Fucking ridiculous, but I was terrified of her reaction.


    This missing content is only avable on


    This missing content is only avable on


    I confessed that her family was alive, so now, she didn''t have an excuse to stay. If she asked where they were, I would tell her and then, surely she would leave. Fuck, I had managed to grow insane hatred towards word ''leave'' because of her. "And I don''t care. Open the door, pull up your big boy pants and face me like a real man would."


    Ignoring her demands, I slowly sat up and focused my gaze on the destruction. Great, this would take hours to clean up and days to refurnish.


    "Oh, so now you''re giving me a silent treatment? Alright, suit yourself. I guess I''ll leave you be, keep acting like a toddler behind closed doors while I will mind my business and sh your guards. They seemed rather fond of my breasts when you stripped me, I think they would be really happy for a repeat of the show."

 91: It just happened. Like that. Magic.

    **Aife


    pov**


    It was a risk I was taking, a massive one, but absolutely worth it.


    The moment thest words spilled over my lips as I was seconds away from spinning on my heel to leave Bane behind, the office door flew open, he thrust his hand at me and grabbed the front of the shirt I was wearing.


    His fist clenched the fabric as Bane pulled me to him. As soon as our bodies collided, he brought his hand on the back of my neck, leaned in and forced his lips on mine.


    All over again, the familiar feeling of warmth spread through me. Bane''s arms snuck around me, pulling my body incredibly close to his.


    His kiss grew more aggressive, demanding and desperate with each movement of his lips against mine. I had to push him away just to get a chance to breathe. Honestly, I had a feeling that he wouldn''t break the kiss even if he would run out of oxygen.


    "I need to breathe," I choked out the words, which finally brought him back to his senses.


    "Right, I guess so do I. Sorry," Bane muttered, still holding me trapped in his arms.


    ncing up, I noticed the slight twitch of the corner of his mouth before a smug smile spread across his lips. "Still thinking about going out there and shing my men?"


    First, I felt my cheeks start burning and soon after, the same sensation spread to the tops of my ears. Bane couldn''t understand how embarrassed I felt about the words I spoke earlier.


    I wouldn''t have done that. Times and times again, Zion had implied that Bane was somewhat territorial, so it was kind of ast ditch effort to lure him out of the office. "Ah, so it was a bait," Bane announced and startedughing.


    I half expected that he would release me and run back to his hideout, but he didn''t. Instead, he held me as tightly as ever while he clearly enjoyed the irony of the situation I created. The situation in itself was weird, that was a fact, but now that I listened to his deepughter echo against the walls, I found myself enjoying the sound.


    How I came here fuming and ready to kick his ass, just to end up standing here and admiring my kidnapper that I had clearly fallen for, was beyond me. It just happened. Like that. Magic. When Bane finally stoppedughing and caught his breath, I reminded myself what was the reason behind my arrival. "We need to talk," the words spilled out of me effortlessly. "About?" Bane''s whole demeanor changed. Even the aura that surrounded him switched from happy to tense.


    Clearing my throat, I looked him straight in the eyes. "Your behavior, it''s uneptable."


    His eyes widened, but a momentter, he caught himself and startedughing again. "Did you really just lure me out of my office just to tell me you have a problem with my behavior?" "Yes," I announced with nothing but certainty,cing my words.


    Finally, I felt like I could stand up for myself, even while facing someone so terrifying as Bane. Alright, perhaps I was biased at this point, because he wasn''t the same monster he used to be in my eyes. These days, he was so much more than the man who ughtered for joy. He was a powerful Alpha, a man who took me from a ce entangled with different questions and secrets to a fresh breath of rity. He was the man who kissed me with passion I hadn''t known before. A man who held me so tightly, I feltplete and safe in his arms. A man who hid me from himself to ensure I was safe, unharmed.


    Bane was rough around the edges, but at the end of the day, he was my Bane.


    As the thought crossed my mind, my jaw nearly dropped. Since when I started addressing Bane as mine? This had to be yet another sign of how my insanity had grown. The more time I spent around him, the crazier I became. "And what exactly is it that bothers you so much? Please, enlighten me," he spoke, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    I found it a little ironic how amused Bane sounded. I didn''t share the same feelings.


    "You can''t keep running from your problems. You have a choice to make." I started, but he quickly cut me off. "What choice?"


    Rolling my eyes, I tried to step away, but Bane wouldn''t let me. After a few failed attempts, I gave up and exined myself.


    "You can keep running for all I care, but if you do, you let me go. And I mean it. No games, I''m done with the games you keep ying with me, Bane. It''s simple - start facing your issues like an adult would or just stop this thing you''re doing to me." "What exactly am I doing to you? What is this thing?"


    I knew it was unreasonable of me to feel so darn offended by his words, but I did. Bane had to realize he had done plenty of stupid things, especially when it came to me.


    Now, I wasn''t thinking of the first days we spent near each other. I was addressing this pushing away and pulling closer nonsense. It couldn''t keep going like that. The choice was simple - he wanted or didn''t want me.


    "One day, you refuse to let me go just to push me away the other. I''m overlooking many things here, possibly even too many, but if there is one thing I refuse to be it is someone''s second chance. I refuse to be your backup option. I''m not asking to be loved, I''m asking to be respected or set free. For good."


    It felt as if my lungs were on fire and my heart clenched in pain. Thinking about those words was one thing, but letting them out and nearly seeing them hang in the air around us was another.


    "I don''t know," Bane muttered, averting his gaze.


    I could sense the sudden change in him. It was the same as many times before. Soon enough, he would pull away from me and run to hide away. But not this time.


    Wrapping my arms around him, I refused to let Bane run. He had to face me.


    "You don''t know what? You don''t know if you want me to stay or leave? Or is it that you don''t know if you want me? What is it? Tell me. Stop avoiding me and juste clean, for once. Just this once. Stop torturing me, stop using me whenever you see it fit. Stop ying your games. I am as much of a person as you are. I have feelings. Believe it or not, but I do. And right now, you''re really hurting me."


    "It would be so much easier if you would scream at me if you''re so angry. Maybe p me?" Bane tried to change the topic.


    Shaking my head, I let out a bitter chuckle and pulled my hands away from him. This time, as I stepped away, he let me, dropping his arms to his sides.


    "I wanted to. I was nning to, but I''m d I didn''t. Clearly, openmunication is a punishment way harsher than throwing fists for you. Make your choice. Silence won''t save you, not this time. I will take silence as the end of whatever you were building here."


    Bane''s eyes shot to me and although the look of desperation and fear in them broke me, I refused to show him anything. We stood there, looking at each other, waiting for something although we didn''t know what it was.


    As the silence dragged in, my own voice echoed in my mind. I made a statement, I told him I would take his silence as one of the answers, so I had to keep my promise.


    Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall as I took one step back, pressed my lips in a thin line and forced a nod of understanding. I was sure this was it. This was his answer.

 92: We’re trying this… thing?

    **Bane


    pov**


    The world around us stopped. All I could see was her, the pain in her eyes and tears that were just about ready to roll down her cheeks.


    I wasn''t speechless because I didn''t want to make a choice she was demanding of me. The silence came from the shock that caught me off guard.


    Aife came here, fuming in anger, looking like she was ready to show me my ce, but instead, she looked past everything and offered me another chance. Why was she offering me the second chance while I never gave her the first one?


    Using the moment of my confusion, she broke out of my arms and started backing up. Once Aife nodded at me only one time, I knew she took this moment as my answer. What I knew even better was that I had to stop her. For good. Reaching out, I grabbed the front of her shirt again and pulled her back in my arms. I held her so tightly, for a brief moment there, I thought I could break her if I didn''t loosen my hold.


    Without uttering a word, I started backing away until we entered the office and I could m the door shut. "I''m not letting you go. No more games, no more secrets, no more bullshit from my part. I know my words mean nothing to you, and I don''t me you, but I just can''t let you leave. I tried to, but I still came back to see if you took me up the damn offer. I''m sorry, but you mean too much for me to let you go. I can''t lose you too," thest words were merely a whisper, but those hit me the hardest.


    I recalled how I lost the woman I loved. I recalled our good and bad times, how much I feared she might leave me, and the day when she really did. Maybe it wasn''t her choice to leave my life, but it still happened.


    Despite how sick and twisted was the moment I firstid my eyes on Aife, I knew there was something about her. But now that I had spent more time around this woman, I was sure she would be the death of me. For her, I was ready to do more than I could admit. Probably to a level of insanity.


    While I was stuck in shbacks from memories, I didn''t notice her sobbing in my arms until I felt how she started shaking.


    Concern hit me in waves as I loosened my hold on her and brought my hand to her chin, gripping it and forcing her to look at me. "Did I hurt you?" As soon as the question left me, a massive lump formed in my throat. Wasn''t it funny how weeks ago, all I could think of was how to break her, but now, I feared I squeezed her a little too hard? Why the fuck I felt like I couldn''t forgive myself if I hurt this woman?


    Aife shook her head. "Not yet. But I''m sure you will."


    Now, tears rolled down her pink cheeks in full swing. I cupped her cheek and started wiping the tears off, locking my gaze with hers in hopes to read her emotions. "Will I?"


    She nodded, a little too eagerly. "Of course, you will. It''s a part of your nature. To bring me down to my knees by saying the right things just to turn around the other moment and take the words back. Don''t make promises you don''t indent to hold. Don''t make statements you don''t mean."


    How could I prove myself to her? Maybe if I offered to cut my chest open and show her how my ck, wicked heart was beating for her, that would do the trick?


    But instead of voicing the idea, I decided to speak my mind. "I mean it. As twisted as my behavior is, I really meant the words I spoke. You''re special. I don''t want to lose you."


    "Tell me why your behavior is so twisted then. Tell me and I can try to help. Or at least, I will understand," she pleaded.


    I shook my head. "Not now. Soon, but not now. Just because I truly have feelings for you doesn''t mean I''m ready to dig up the skeletons of my past. I want to share my secrets with you, but I still need time. Can you wait on me?"


    Aife closed her eyes, took a deep breath and nodded her head. "For as long as you promise you will stop running and pushing me away. Can you at least do that?"


    I had to think about it. If *he* got stronger, I would surely try to get him as far away from her as possible. Besides, I wasn''t quite sure how he operated and why he was appearing so oftentely.


    Ever since I brought Aife here, he had started appearing more often, which truly terrified me. With Milly, he never showed his presence, he didn''t pay attention to her or mind her presence, but with Aife, yeah, he''s dangerous.


    If I let my guard down around her, he could take advantage of the moment of weakness and fulfill his sick promises.


    I knew I was being selfish by keeping her here before I made sure she was safe, but I also knew that she wouldn''te back to me if I let her go. So, it wasn''t like I really had a choice in the matter.


    "I promise I will try my best. That''s all I can give you for now. I understand if my attempts aren''t enough for you, but I can''t throw empty promises at you. It wouldn''t be fair to you."


    Honestly, a part of me was expecting the rejection to follow. The bigger part of me. The tiny leftover part held onto the hope that she would understand...


    Holding my breath, I remained silent, waiting for an answer.


    To my utter surprise, Aife smiled and nodded as her gaze met mine again. "I can live with that. For as long as you will truly try your best, I can take that. It''s more than enough for me."


    My heart exploded in my chest. Not only because I absolutely adored the moments when she smiled, but also because of her words.


    Almost everyone around me always reminded me how my best had never been enough, yet this tiny woman just imed that it was more than enough for as long as I tried.


    Along with an immense sense of happiness, I was smashed with a painful wave of overwhelming guilt. After everything I had done, she still remained by my side, still gave me a chance and had faith in me.


    If I fucked up this one, I wouldn''t have another. Maybe not because she wouldn''t be willing to give me another chance, but surely because I would refuse myself of such a thing. I wouldn''t allow her to torture herself just because I was stupid and let her down again.


    "So that''s it? We''re trying this... thing?"


    I wasn''t sure if we were supposed to putbels on what we shared, so I chose to give her the honor to decide how fast we went. Honestly, for as long as we did everything together, hand in hand, I didn''t give a shit aboutbels or speed. All I wanted was her at my side. As pissy and stupid I had acted, I couldn''t remember thest time I was as happy as I had been while waking up and falling asleep next to her.


    "This thing... I suppose we''re trying it, yes. And if you really want to use the big boy words, don''t cringe at addressing yourself as boyfriend. I suppose we''re dating now."

 93: Seal the deal.

    **Aife pov**


    Bane''s face nearly split in half as he grinned at me. His eyes held an excited twinkle in them and I couldn''t wipe the smile off my own face. His happiness was contagious. "How about we seal the deal with a kiss then?" Bane asked, wiggling his eyebrows like a child.


    As he leaned in, clearly adamant to go for a kiss, I raised my hand and pped it over his mouth. His eyes widened a little, but then, a look of confusion crossed his features.


    "We will have some ground rules and it''s best if we discuss them before issues arise. The main thing I will ask of you ismunication. And I mean grown-upmunication. Transparency. We have to talk, we have to discuss issues and voice our concerns."


    "Agreed. Now kiss," he muttered against my hand, once again, trying to lean in, but I stopped him again.


    "I wasn''t finished."


    I could feel his smile against my hand as Bane muttered, "we can kiss between the rules, can''t we?"


    Rolling my eyes at his silly antics, I admired myself for my ability to remain serious. I really wanted tough at his behavior. "Or you could stop wasting time and listen?"


    He didn''t look too pleased but eventually agreed, so I removed my hand from his mouth. Bane used the moment to peck my lips and stepped aside, looking as innocent as amb.


    "Are you sure you''re an Alpha?" I muttered the question, making himugh.


    "A pretty powerful one, yeah," Bane answered and focused his attention on picking up random objects from the floor. "Don''t mind me, I''ll busy myself with cleaning while I listen to your rules so I keep my ws off you. For as long as I''m holding something, I won''t try to grab you."


    Now it was my turn tough at his statement. Still rather amused, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and raised an eyebrow at him. "And how are some pens and pencils about to hold back this pretty powerful Alpha, exactly?" I mocked him.


    A loud, almost pained groan left him. "Don''t test me, woman, I''m trying. Also, if you really want to dig deep into details, I don''t see how it could be anything bad if your ''boyfriend'' kissed you. Don''te at me for using this title, you gave it to me and I''m keeping it."


    When I said the word myself, it didn''t hold much meaning. The same word, but spoken by Bane, hit me like a wall of bricks. My first ever boyfriend. Ironically, he also was my first ever kidnapper.


    "Let''s leave this conversation forter and focus on the rules, okay?" I offered.


    With an amused chuckle, Bane agreed. "Fine by me. Now, give me the rules. Communication, got it. What''s next on the list?"


    Although he wasn''t looking at me anymore, I felt ufortable all over again.


    I tilted my head to look at a spot on the wall and muttered, "I''m not ready yet."


    From the corner of my eye, I could see Bane freeze on the spot. He just stood there, not saying anything or asking questions.


    Time dragged as we stood inplete silence until he broke it. "Okay, I have far too many ideas in my mind, so I will need you to be a little more specific. Not ready for what exactly? Going public? Having a rtionship in general? Talking about stuff? Driving a car? Sacrificing me in the middle of the woods to feed the blood greed of your gods? Which one is it?"


    I found it amusing how Bane didn''t catch on what I meant and instead went with the most ridiculous and outrageous assumptions. "None of those," I chuckled and quickly added, "intimacy."


    Slowly, Bane turned on his heel to face me. He didn''t address the fact that I wasn''t looking his way, just spoke in the most gentle tone I had heard him using. "And I''m not asking for that. One, it''s too early. But let''s be clear about a couple of things you''re a virgin, so it would be clear for a fool that you''re not ready for a step as massive as that. There is no rush. Ever. Also, I haven''t asked you to take that step, so it shouldn''t be one of concern. And besides, I stole your first kiss and I''m pretty sure I''m your first boyfriend, so I''m already taking plenty of firsts."


    When I noticed him walking closer, my head snapped in his direction. Bane stopped right in front of me and gently cupped my cheek, a slight smile spreading across his lips.


    "I won''t push you to take that step. If anything happens between us, if *you* decide that it is something *you* want to, we will work on it. But it''s really not something you should worry about. It really is a massive step in a rtionship, and I don''t want you to give up on something so precious just because you felt like you were under pressure. Whoever gets to share your first time will be a very lucky man. Even if it''s not me, all I want is for you to have the most incredible experience and no regrets. Is this answer good enough?"


    Unable to speak, I nodded my head, staring at him as if Bane just showed me one of the wonders of the world. Anything, I expected anything, but this.. The man was full of surprises.


    "Now," he grinned. "How about we seal the deal with a kiss?" Bane repeated himself, jumping straight back to his funny antics and ridding us both from the tension that grew in the office.


    "You''re a little too eager with the kisses, don''t you think? How about we finish this conversation first?" I offered, still pushing what I wanted to do.


    If I let Bane get what he wanted, he would distract me with the kisses again and I would lose my ability to think.


    "Fine," he grumbled. "Worth the try," Bane added and returned to his previous task.


    I let my eyes scan the office while he busied himself. Bane had done a lot of damage in such a short period of time. Most of the furniture were broken, papers were scattered all over the ce and even the painting frames on the walls were broken.


    "Rules, my beautifuldy, have you forgotten about your rules?" Bane called out, startling me out of the weird daze.


    "Oh, right," I muttered and cleared my throat. "You kind of ruined my trail of thoughts so maybe you can offer something while I try to remember mine?"


    "Thank fuck you brought this up. I have a rule, yes." Bane sounded so relieved, it really was funny.


    "I''m listening."


    "No one can touch you. Oh, and look at you. Actually, no one can talk to you too. I don''t want those horny fucks surround you like a swarm of bees. You''re my girlfriend now so no one can get to you." "Jealous much?" I giggled, teasing him.


    In response, Bane dropped everything he was holding and stomped to me. His handnded on my hip, gripped it and he forced me to step back until my back hit the door. Bane buried his face in the crook of my neck, inhaled deeply and ran his nose over my skin until his lips reached my ear.


    "I don''tbel myself as the jealous type, never have. Territorial and protective, yeah, maybe, but never jealous." Bane whispered. I gulped and parted my lips, about to spill out absolute nonsense, but he beat me to it as he added. "But because of you, I think I''ve learned how to be jealous. So, yeah, I am, in fact, stupidly, terribly, madly jealous when ites to you."

 94: Let me show you something.

    **Aife pov**


    When Bane pulled away and gaze finally met mine, I could see the sincerity in his eyes. I had seen this look a couple of times before, but only now I realized how to describe it.


    He looked at me like I meant something.. And honestly, maybe it wasn''t just that. I didn''t have his words to support my assumptions, but I was quite sure the look screamed more than a thousand words would.


    It wasn''t just ''you mean a lot to me'' look, it was more like ''if anyone takes you away from me, I will burn the entire world down if that''s what I must do to get back what is mine'' look.


    There it was, another proof that I had read far too many romance books and still tried to find something that wasn''t there.


    But a girl could dream, couldn''t she?


    He offered me his hand, so I hesitantly ced mine in his as I raised an eyebrow at him.


    "Don''t ask questions, just trust me and let me show you something," Bane offered.


    Did he have any idea that usually, when you told people that they shouldn''t ask questions, that was the one thing they instantly wanted to do?


    Although I was dying to ask where he wanted to lead me, I held back and remained silent.


    Bane opened the office door and pulled me after him. "I know you''re thinking about the mess I left behind, so don''t. Drop the worry, I have plenty of people who can clean it up. And yes, before you ask, I will work to fix it too."


    My jaw dropped. When he had the time to get to know me on such a personal level to know what was going through my head? He wasn''t wrong, I really worried about the destruction he was leaving behind.


    As we walked through halls and passed door after door, I realized Bane was taking me to a part of the main building I hadn''t seen before. He stopped in front of a massive door and forced his hand inside the pocket of his jeans, pulling out a key.


    I watched him unlock the door and open it for me. "Come on, let''s go," Bane encouraged me. He let go of my hand to ce his on the small of my back and pushed me a little.


    For a brief moment, fear froze me. What if he was taking me there to do something bad? I couldn''t know what was going through his head.


    "It''s a very special ce I want to share with you. I keep the door locked to keep everyone out of here, even Zion isn''t allowed to enter." Bane stated, offering me a slight smile.


    He looked unsure, as if he was fighting himself about the idea. Seeing how ufortable he was, I nodded and stepped inside what I thought was another dark room, but turned out to be a long hall.


    "You''re taking me to your sex dungeon, right? No, it must be sex attic, we didn''t head downstairs." I gasped, refusing to move forward.


    Bane closed the door and locked it. Then, hisughter echoed against the walls and his body pressed against mine. Shivers ran all over my body as his lips brushed my ear when he whispered, "I told you I wouldn''t force intimacy on you, didn''t I? This is my secret, the first one I am ready to share with you."


    A sense of guilt instantly hit me. I was so used to assuming the worst of him that I didn''t notice how often I kept doing the same thing over and over again.


    Just minutes ago, I threw thebel ''boyfriend'' at him, and now, I was thinking the worst of him.


    The truth was that if Bane wanted to hurt me, he would have done that whenever he pleased. He didn''t need to lure me away from others like some sick maniac would. As the Alpha, he could kill and torture whoever he pleased and the pack could do nothing about it.


    I felt his hand grab mine and him, tugging it for me to follow him.


    As soon as he stepped aside and his body wasn''t pressed against mine anymore, I was freezing. I hadn''t noticed how cold it was here until Bane stepped away.


    He walked through down the hall as if he knew it by heart, which had to be the case as this was his house and his secret. All I could do was blindly follow him and hope we would reach a room that wasn''t as pitch dark as the hall.


    For a while, we just moved forward. Just when I was growing a little irritated, Bane stopped. I couldn''t see what he was doing, I just heard him open another door.


    We stepped inside the room and he instantly flicked on the lights, blinding me for a brief moment in the process.


    By the time my eyes adjusted to the bright light, Bane was already standing on the other side of the room, looking at me as if he was expecting a reaction while holding his breath.


    My eyes scanned the room and I instantly frowned. "A nursery?"


    Bane nodded, a little too eagerly for me to understand why I was here in the first ce. "Yes."


    "But..." I started and stopped myself to draw in a breath. "Why is it pink?"


    The whole ce was pink over pink, on top of pink and a sprinkle of pink for good measure.


    Bane chuckled and shook his head. His hand ran over a dust-covered crib and eyes focused on the floor. "My parents thought I would break-" he cut himself off before he finished.


    His head snapped to the side, eyes wide, as if he was shocked about something. Just as I opened my mouth to ask what he meant with his words, Bane shook his head. "I wanted to show you a part of my history, I suppose. No one is allowed to enter this part of the building because it was my childhood home. This is where I spent my days with my parents. Do you want to see the photos?"


    I knew he was doing his best to change the topic and allowed him to. Bane could share more of his history when he would be ready, just as he promised he would do.


    "I would love to," I blurted out, slowly approaching him.


    While clearly way bigger and stronger than me, at times, Bane acted like a timid animal. He couldn''t be cornered since the reaction that followed wasn''t one anyone could enjoy.


    Thest thing I wanted was for him to p me across the face out of instinct.


    "We need to go to their bedroom. I haven''t been here for a while as you can probably see, so I apologize for the dust and dirt," he smiled, turned around and walked towards the door I didn''t notice earlier.


    Just in case, I kept some distance between us. I couldn''t know how he felt or what he was thinking. For all I knew, Bane could change his mind about sharing this with me any moment, so it would be better if I approached everything with caution.


    At first, when Bane entered the other room, I stuck close to the door, unsure if I was allowed to enter. Just as something caught my attention, Bane''s hand shot out of the room, he grabbed me and pulled me inside.


    Our bodies collided again, and this time, he took the chance to take what he kept asking for earlier. His lips pressed against mine and secondster, we were sharing the most passionate kiss we had shared up to this day. His grip around me was so tight, I doubted he nned to let me go anytime soon.


    My head started spinning, but he was nowhere near done with the assault on my lips. When he finally broke the kiss, I breathed so heavily, I must have sounded like a dying seal.


    Hisrge palm cupped my cheek as his eyes bore into mine. Whenever Bane did this, I felt like he was staring straight into my soul, no imaginary walls could protect me from his gaze. Ever.


    This brief moment proved that no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried to keep my distance - there was no escaping. Sooner orter, I would have fallen for the beast. And I did.

 95: Worst fear came to life.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I saw the questions run through her mind even though none passed her lips. Aife was desperate for answers, but still held back from asking anything because of me.


    I didn''t deserve her. I knew that. She knew that. Damn it, the whole world knew that. And yet, I still held her closer and tighter every time I got a chance to wrap my arms around her. Selfish, I knew. But if being selfish meant I could have her, if only for a brief moment, I was about to be the most selfish man the world had known.


    "How about we look at those photos?" I muttered, still gazing into her eyes.


    As the realization hit her, I reminded myself that I had to be more careful around her. Somehow, Aife''s presence made me let my guard down, possibly because I was too damnfortable around her, and in turn, I almost spilled too much information.


    This wasn''t the time or ce for me toe clean with her. I would, eventually, it was just too soon, too early in whatever we were building and the hurt I caused to her was still too fresh.


    First, we had to grow and then, we could start dipping our fingers in my past.


    "Yes," Aife agreed and cleared her throat. Her cheeks turned slightly pink as her eyes darted around the room. "The photos, that''s what we came here for."


    I tried my best to ignore how flushed she was. The little remarks she made amused me, but the pink tone of her skin and the little things she did really tested my ability to hold back.


    Especially when she grew nervous and started chewing those lush lips. All I could focus on was how much I wanted to steal another taste of them.


    Clearing my throat, I gestured towards the bed and waited until she sat down. One of the things I had noticed about her was that she didn''t like new ces, so when I grabbed the photo albums, I quickly sat right next to her, hoping that would make her morefortable.


    Slowly, I opened the first one and offered it to her.


    Aife''s eyes widened as she looked at me in disbelief. "Will you allow me to touch these?"


    The question caught me off guard. Why wouldn''t I?


    "I can hold them if you don''t want to, but I don''t see a big deal about letting you go through the pages. I offered, didn''t I?"


    She nodded, a little hesitant. "You did, but.. These clearly mean a lot to you if you''re holding them here, behind closed doors where no one could get their hands on them."


    Aife had a point. The only issue was that I couldn''t understand what I was doing anymore. I had held everything around here untouched, banned every pack member from approaching the door, let alone touch anything.


    But here I was, sitting with Aife on my parents bed and handing her the most treasured thing I owned. I didn''t have anything else left, but sharing this with her felt right...


    "You can hold the album if you want." I tried to assure her.


    Aife''s hands started shaking as she slowly reached them out and took the album. She held it as if she knew the importance it held, so carefully, like a mother would hold her newborn.


    My eyes followed her movements as she ran her fingertips over a photo and smiled. "This is you, right?" Aife whispered, eyes focused on a toddler grinning.


    A chuckle left me before I could stop it. "Yeah, I''m missing a few teeth there as you can see. Let''s say I was a fighter from a very early age and knew a couple of defeats."


    "Or you lost teeth like every kid did," she rolled her eyes.


    I didn''t offer more exnations unless she asked questions. If anything, I was enjoying the silence that surrounded us while she flipped the pages and paid extra attention to every photo she saw. And then, she stopped.


    At first, I didn''t understand why she didn''t flip the next page, but then I noticed how focused she was on the photo of my parents.


    My father held my mother in his arms, both of them looked at each other, blinding smiles across their lips, the looks in their eyes gave out how crazy in love with each other they were.


    Aife slowly ran her fingers over the photo and muttered, "I have seen this woman before. Who is she?"


    I frowned. Where possibly she could have seen my mother if she died years ago? Unlike other women, my mother wasn''t the social butterfly who strived to leave the pack territory. She was a very quiet woman who preferred to stay home. "That is my mother," I replied, silently hoping Aife would tell me more.


    "Odd," she muttered.


    Now, she caught my attention. As much as I wanted to ask her millions of questions, I remained silent. More often than not, she told me everything on her mind when she was ready. "Why was the painting of your mother disyed in the hall of my old pack house?"


    I shrugged and tried to appear calm. Truth to be told, my heart instantly started beating faster and sweat broke out on my forehead.


    Aife''s old pack was connected to mine in more than a few ways, but I never thought that they would be so fucking shameless to disy the paining of their victim in their damned house.


    If not for them, my mother would be alive. The anger I buried years ago slowly found its way back to the surface, and this time, I struggled to push it back down. Aife was someone I wanted in my life, someone I had feelings for, not someone I wanted to harm.


    At first, what I did was revenge. I wanted them all to feel a little bit of pain I felt over the years. I wanted them all to feel the desperation of the loss no one deserved. I gave them what they gave me. And that was why I kept the family alive. They lived knowing they would never see her.


    But my n backfired when I fell for the one, who was the pawn in my game of revenge. The woman, who looked at the photo of my parents with tears in her eyes and nothing but admiration in her gaze.


    I fell for the best part of the monsters who stripped me of everything that ever mattered.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I ced my hand over hers and slowly closed the photo album. My emotions were all over the ce, threatening to break out with such strength, I feared the consequences.


    And even more than that, I feared *him*, I feared he would take the moment to his advantage and then, I couldn''t stop him from doing whatever he pleased.


    In a desperate attempt to stop the storm before it started, I ced the photo albums on the nightstand next to the bed, turned to Aife and stole another kiss from her.


    If nothing else, her lips could calm me. Her arms, wrapped around my neck and her fingers running through my hair was the anchor I needed to stop myself.


    So, after all, this was the proof that my worst fear came to life. I became dependent on someone I couldn''t have for good, no matter how much I tried or hoped otherwise.

 96: In his arms.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Call me crazy, but I had a feeling that Bane kept kissing me whenever he did just to distract me. Somehow, the moments his lips crashed on mine always aligned with situations where I demanded for answers or made him uneasy. Despite that, I let him have the moment. Mainly because I didn''t know anything about his family, but it was clear that he loved his parents. There was no other exnation as to why he had kept this ce like a hidden shrine. For now, all I could do was give him what he needed and wait.


    Sooner orter, he would be ready to share that part of his life with me.


    Once Bane broke the kiss, he instantly hid his face in the crook of my neck. These days, the action seemed like a thing offort for him, so I just allowed it.


    "How about we head home?" He suddenly offered.


    "Sure," I agreed without thinking.


    Clearly, he had a lot on his shoulders and mind already, especially dragging after him from the past, so not to start another argument, I figured it was better to y along for now.


    Besides, since we were together now, we needed time to get to know each other on a more personal level, and that came with time.


    "I know rtionships are hard work," he muttered, still not moving. "And I promise to work on whatever we have going on here. But not now, not today. Today, I want to forget and live in the moment. Will you go on a date with me?"


    A part of me was d he couldn''t see how my eyes widened at his question. He caught me off guard, I really never expected to be asked out by Bane.


    If anything, I had a feeling that he would demand or announce that we would do something together, not go out of his way to ask me. This was a rather pleasant change.


    Honestly, I really did want to go out. I wanted to get out of the houses that had been my prison for a few weeks already.


    "Where would we go?" I asked.


    Bane chuckled and tilted his head a little to press a kiss to my neck. "I heard carnival is in the town, so I thought that maybe you would like the experience."


    Now, I was a little disappointed that he couldn''t see my face. I had told Bane that all my life, I had pretty much spent hidden away from everyone, sheltered and robbed of experiences.


    Nearly all things would be something I would do for the first time, so he could bet his butt that I wanted to go.


    Containing the excitement that surged through me was stupidly difficult, but I managed to. "I would love to go to the carnival with you."


    "In that case," Bane chuckled and slowly stood up. He offered me his hand and smiled, "let''s get ready to go before the cotton candy is sold out."


    Slowly, I ced my hand in his and allowed Bane to pull me up. He didn''t let go of my hand as he led me out of the hidden living spaces and down the pitch ck hall. Even when we stopped in front of the door while Bane locked it, he didn''t let go of my hand.


    No matter how many times the same thing happened, I couldn''t rid myself of the amazement I felt whenever this weird feeling surged through me. The feeling in question was hard to exin - every time Bane acted like he needed me, and I meant actually needed me to stay above water, I felt something.


    At times, I was so bold, I assumed something bigger connected us both. Like a mate bond. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I shrugged it off. There was no way we were connected by that kind of bond. But there was something and it was special enough for me to stay and try.


    We didn''t speak as we walked down the halls and towards the main door. When we left the building, some men still surrounded us and as we walked past, I grinned at the whispered remarks Bane ignored. "He''s so smitten."


    "Can you see the grin on his face? When was thest time Alpha smiled like that?"


    "Is she a witch? I think she''s good for him, but what kind of magic is that?"


    The remarks continued even when we walked away from them, but the sole fact that his men seemed happy for Bane made me feel warm inside.


    I had always been a person who hated rumors and whispered words, but these days, I found happiness in the very thing I used to despise.


    By the time we reached Bane''s house, I was silently drowning in happiness. As awful as this day started, it quickly did a full 180 and filled me with nothing but joy.


    Bane stopped in front of the door and hesitated to enter. I raised an eyebrow at him and tugged on his hand. "Are you okay? Did something happen? Please don''t tell me you changed your mind."


    Disappointment hit me before Bane could answer any of my questions. I had gotten so wrapped up in my own emotions and excitement that I didn''t think about how impulsive his decisions were. Bane had responsibilities in the pack, he couldn''t just up and go anywhere he wanted.


    Carnival wasn''t a priority. It shouldn''t be as it didn''t bring any good for the rest of the pack, that much I understood, but I was selfish so I allowed myself to feel like a child that had just lost a chance to try the cotton candy he mentioned. Bane dropped my hand and spun around. A wide grin spread across his lips as he slowly shook his head. "No, nothing happened. I haven''t changed my mind, I just realized I had never done this the right way." He said.


    I frowned. What did he mean?


    With that thought, Bane bent down, slipped his arm under my knees and ced the other on my back. My eyes widened as he lifted me and carried me inside the house bridal style.


    A giggle escaped me as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"


    His grin only widened, "treating you like the Queen you are. I''ve said this before, but I have imed that you would be Luna of this pack, yet never treated you as one. We change it now. Luna doesn''t have to step inside the house, her Alpha carries her inside."


    Was I really so easy to please? Perhaps I was, but the emotions his actions and words stirred inside me were impossible to describe.


    Resting my head against his chest, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. Slowly, day by day, I learned that even the most vicious monsters could show weakness, emotions, love and affection.


    Now, all I could do was hope that this Bane wouldn''t lose himself. This was the man I didn''t want to lose. For as long as he could remain himself, not the monster within, I would go through fire if it meant we could build something beautiful together.


    Something was telling me I belonged right where I was. In his arms.

 97: Another first.

    **Aife pov**


    Funny how growing up, I hated it when my parents chose outfits for me to wear. Back in those days, I thought of their behavior as controlling and unreasonable as I couldn''t express creativity or show my character wearing something I didn''t like.


    But now, sitting on the bed, I watched Bane go through the closet with a smile across my lips. He fussed and hissed about everything - this was too short, this wouldn''t keep me warm, and that wouldn''t tter me the right way.


    No matter what he grabbed, nothing was good enough for me. And then, when he focused on what he would be wearing on our first, real date, Bane was worried he wouldn''t look good enough to be seen with me. Not the other way around, not me fitting the role, but him.


    Watching Bane, I thought if breaching the topic about my parents would be something I wanted to do. I didn''t want to ruin the moment, but I also was curious about their whereabouts.


    Just as I decided to ask, Bane cheered and left the closet. "I found everything. Fucking finally."


    Slowly, I stood up and reached my hand for the little pile of clothes he was holding for me. But instead of handing me everything, Bane shook his head. "No, I will help you get dressed. No more hiding in the bathroom, no more stolen nces and embarrassment. I''ve done plenty of awful things, and now, I will fix my mistakes. I''m not here to ridicule you, and while I still stand by my promises not to force you to do anything before you''re ready, I will praise your body like I should have done that ages ago."


    My cheeks burned and my throat instantly went dry. I couldn''t even think of the words I should say, let alone actually utter any.


    Bane walked closer and ced the clothes on the bed. His hands ran over my body as he helped me undress. While his touch was gentle and seemed calcted, I noticed the slight tremble of his hands.


    "Beautiful, you''re so beautiful," Bane muttered as he dropped thest piece of clothing and left me standing in nothing but my underwear.


    His hands, that were on my hips, slowly traveled down my legs as he kneeled before me. "Breathtaking," Bane muttered and reached for the clothes he chose.


    My mind waspletely nk as he told me to step into the skirt and slowly pulled it up. He buttoned it up and then got back to his feet again. Next, followed by a beautiful in blouse and some essories I hadn''t seen earlier. When he was happy about my outfit, he quickly dropped his clothes and changed into new ones. Only when Bane got dressed I realized he had chosen a very simr style for both of us.


    My skirt was ck, ssic, and his cks looked the same. My blouse was white and his shirt was the same color. Honestly, both looked the same. Even the essories he wore were the same color as mine.


    "Did you juste up with a couple outfit?" I asked, wide-eyed.


    Bane chuckled. "Yes, I did. I know this isn''t something superfortable meant for an active day at the carnival, but I wanted to look alike, so we will have to live with what we have at hand. Shopping after carnival?"


    cing my hand on his chest, I smiled. "Let''s see if any of us will be up to any shopping after we''re done with the activities, okay? I want to get as much experience as I can."


    Bane nodded, stepped closer and pressed his lips to my forehead. "Anything you want, literally anything you want."


    His words ignited fire within me. The little things Bane did and said made me feel like he was just as passionate of a lover as he was a warrior. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work.


    Without any words, Bane grabbed my hand and led me out of the room and then downstairs. He grabbed his car keys, we slipped on our shoes, and left the house.


    As a true gentleman, Bane opened the car door for me and only then got in the driver''s seat. "Seatbelt, sweetheart," he mumbled as he started the car.


    My eyes widened, just a little, and I was about to protest, but he had none of it. Instead of listing the reasons why he wanted me to buckle up, he just leaned over and did it for me. Bane caught the chance to press his lips to my cheek quickly and then focused on driving as if nothing had happened.


    During the drive to the nearest city, he held my hand or ced his on my thigh. For the entire time, we enjoyedfortable silence while I couldn''t stop thinking about his inability to keep his hands off me. One way or another, he had to have physical contact between our bodies.


    Somehow, I lost myself in my thoughts until the car came to a stop. Bane hopped out, ran around the car and opened the door for me. Even before I could reach for the belt, he bent inside and unbuckled it. Once again, he pressed his lips to my cheek and grinned.


    He held out his hand for me, so I took it as I got out of the car. Bane didn''t just hold my hand, he let go and wrapped an arm around my waist to keep me as close as possible. From there, he dly did everything I asked. Starting with cotton candy he promised to even ying the silly games to win me some plush animals.


    I had so much fun with the rides, bright lights and loud music that I didn''t notice how Bane kept staring at me during every experience we shared. When I felt too tired to keep going, he carried me to the nearest bench and left me sitting. Bane moved around like he was a man on a mission and never left my side, so when I realized he wasn''t sitting next to me, I grew a little uneasy. More so when someone else sat next to me and tried to talk me into taking a sip from their drink.


    "Come on, you''re no fun. It''s regr beer, it won''t kill you," the guy chuckled.


    I came up with so many snarky remarks, I was struggling to choose which one could fit the situation better, but thankfully, I didn''t have to because the hand thatnded on my shoulder was too warm for me not to know who was standing there.


    "Beer won''t kill her, but her boyfriend surely will kill you," the growl thatced his words nearly shook the whole ce.


    The corner of my mouth twitched as I caught the danger of the aura that surrounded us. Stranger next to me had lost all the color to his face and dropped the stic ss he was holding, but he didn''t move. The guy had to be frozen in fear. Just to avoid possible consequences of Bane going on another killing rampage, I ced my hand over his and looked over my shoulder. At first, he didn''t notice my actions and gaze, clearly too caught up in his anger, so I blurted out the only thing I could imagine to calm him down.


    "And where''s my kiss?" Although the boldness of my words caught even me off guard, I still pointed my finger at my lips, expecting Bane to act on it.


    And boy, did he. Bane didn''t hesitate to pull me to my feet, wrap his arm around my waist and assault my lips with his. His tongue darted inside my mouth, exploring it, savoring the taste. A loud, satisfied growl left him and honestly, I was sure the kiss didn''t look like just a kiss for those who were watching us.


    I could be bold enough to say Bane openly tongue fucked my mouth right before everyone. If the passion behind his actions weren''t a way to im me publicly, I didn''t know what it was. When he pulled away, I was struggling to catch my breath.


    His eyes weren''t focused on me when he whispered, "carnival experience, check. Another first. Next time I see another dick hitting on you, sweetheart, I will kill him. No hesitation."

 98: Claiming ownership.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I saw another side of him. Potective, possessive, and possibly territorial. Technically, I had seen him aggressive and angry, but not like this.


    Bane held me so close to him, his words were so heavy andced in nothing but promises, I realized this was more than just showing someone his dominance. He was iming ownership.


    Sick, twisted, ugly ownership. I knew I should have hated it, but for some just as twisted reason as he was, I loved it. I actually relished the feeling that spread through me.


    While I yearned to be held and loved by him the way no one else had been loved, I also wanted this side of the man that was holding me. The animalistic, predatory side of him.


    I had no idea if the man behind us was still looking, but I didn''t care anymore. Something came over me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and jumped on Bane, wrapping my legs around his waist and hiding my face in the crook of his neck.


    Everything around us faded, even theughter and cheers in the distance. I didn''t realize he was carrying me somewhere until my back hit something cold and hard.


    Opening my eyes, I saw nothing but darkness. There were a few lights around us, but they illuminated the surroundings so poorly, I barely saw his face.


    Bane had carried me to an empty, hidden alley. And then, without a word, his lips imed mine.


    The kiss we shared was different. Although I admired how every kiss was different in one way or another, this one was so full of raw lust and possessiveness, I didn''t think I could ever get enough.


    The rougher his lips became against mine, the more I wanted. Silenced whimpers and moans left me as my hands slid in his hair and I gripped it, desperate to pull his face even closer than it already was. Something came over me, all I could think of was how much I wanted him to im me - fully. So much so, our bodies would be one and never part.


    But then, the moment was broken. Bane pulled away and chuckled. "Not here. Not like this. You''re not ready."


    Those couple of words made me realize what I was begging for. Truth to be told, I wasn''t sure if I really wasn''t ready anymore. Something in me had changed, so I didn''t have the answer anymore.


    "I-" I tried to talk, but Bane silenced me by pressing himself against me, clearly showing off that he truly wanted me just as much as I suddenly had started to want him.


    "No," he whispered. "You''re not ready."


    His voice was strained, pained. Bane sounded like he was trying to convince himself, not state facts.


    "But," I tried to protest, but again, he silenced me.


    His hand pped over my mouth. "Stop. Please, just stop. It''s hard to say no to you. But you must understand that this isn''t you. It''s not you, wanting to sleep with me. I know it''s hard to understand, your emotions must be all over the ce, but I know what you are feeling. And that, sweetheart, isn''t desire."


    His words reyed in my mind over and over again, but I still didn''t understand why he was saying those things. Wasn''t the person who knew what I wanted me? How could he know better than I did?


    Another dark chuckle left him as Bane slowly removed his hand from my mouth. "When Alphas be protective of someone, our aura often blinds those surrounding us. While it bends and breaks the opponent, it also fools others. Your reaction is that of any she-wolf. Since you were so close to me at the moment, my aura overpowered yours and your instincts to mate the strongest wolf kicked in."


    Then, Bane leaned a little closer and pressed his lips to my forehead as he added, "think about my words, little wolf. You know you''re not ready for a step like that. Especially in some dirty alley. Your first time has to be special, it has to mean something to you, a beautiful experience. And more importantly, it has to be with someone special. As much as I hate admitting this, I have fucked up with you too many times to think we are at that stage already. I need to earn it, if it ever happens. I refuse to take that from you. Even if you beg..."


    I let his words sink in as my heart slowly returned to a steady beating and my breathing wasn''t as ragged anymore. My throat didn''t feel like it was burning and there was no insane pull either.


    After all, it seemed like Bane had saved me from myself. A bright, almost blinding smile spread across his lips as Bane looked at me. "That''s it, there''s my girl, she''s back again."


    Overwhelmed with emotions, I tightened my hold around his neck and hid my face in the crook of his neck.


    Bane didn''t need words for us tomunicate. He could im he didn''t know me, but he did. Perhaps we weren''t meant to be together and did this against all odds, but the little time we spent together was enough for him to read me. He didn''t say anything as he carried me back to the car. When he was sure I feltfortable, he closed the door, locked the car and disappeared.


    Clearly, he was up to something, but I didn''t bother to ask. This day wouldn''t be ruined by arguments about his anger outbursts. If Bane left to hurt someone, I didn''t want to know anything about it.


    My choice was selfish, very unlike everything I usually did, but I really wanted to have this memory as it was. No violence, no arguments, nothing to stain the experience.


    By the time he returned, I was drifting off to sleep, so I didn''t pay attention to what he was doing when he opened the trunk of the car and dropped something inside.


    Bane smiled like a lunatic when he got in the car and leaned over to peck my lips. "Sleep, sweetheart, you look like you''re barely staying awake."


    As if his words were magic, my eyelids grew so heavy, I couldn''t resist the need to close them.


    When I came to my senses, Bane was already carrying me towards the house. "Shhh, sleep, sweetheart." He muttered as he pushed the door open and carried me upstairs.


    Laying me down on the bed, Bane removed my shoes and undressed me. His hands didn''t hesitate and never remained on my skin for too long.


    I half-expected him toy next to me, but it also didn''t surprise me that he didn''t. Instead, Bane kissed my cheek and muttered, "I have some work to do at the main house. If I''m not back by the time you wake up, there''s no need to worry. I''ll tell Amelia toe over so you can have somepany."


    My eyes instantly widened at hisst statement. I wanted to jump out of the bed and ignore any need to sleep if it meant I could see Amelia again.


    Bane chuckled and ced his hand on my head, running his finger through my hair. "I know you''re excited, but you need to get some rest first. It''ste, she''s probably asleep so you two can see each other tomorrow, okay?" Yawning, I nodded and closed my eyes. I could wait another night.


    Bane kissed my cheek again, whispered, "good girl" and left the room. For the first time in a while, I felt like my life was getting better.

 99: Mine.

    **Bane


    pov**


    She fell asleep with a smile across her lips. Have I ever witnessed a sight more magical and beautiful than that? No, I didn''t think so.


    The thought of Aife, sleeping in our bed, in the safety of our home was the only thing that kept me sane as I headed towards the main building.


    Zion along with some of my men surrounded our house to ensure no one would try to enter it during my absence. After what happened at the carnival, I couldn''t be careless anymore. I had to watch my back just as much as I had to watch hers.


    Once I stepped in front of the main building, Rex ran to greet me. "Alpha, we hauled his ass in the room. Do you need any help or do we stay on the lookout?"


    "Send three patrols out and ensure the borders are secure. Don''t let theme back before there is a patrol that can stand in their positions. The borders have to remain secure at all times and all costs. We can''t afford to have unexpected visitors. As for the guy, he''s mine."


    Rex gulped and nodded, stepping aside to let me pass him. "As you wish, Alpha."


    I nodded at the guy and focused on what I had to do. Staying around him for any longer would be a bad idea. Rex was alive because of Aife and I really, fucking really, didn''t want to upset her by identally killing the little shit.


    Or maybe not so identally because every time I looked in his direction, I instantly remembered my men telling me what happened and how he threw my woman against the wall.


    Heading towards the cells, I nodded at some of the men. All of them seemed to know what I was about to do, so they got out of my way as fast as they could. Not that I minded.


    Less distractions meant louder screams any second now.


    By the time I walked down the stairs and reached the door to the secluded room, I started grinning like a madman. I always had the key to this room on me, so I quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. This was perfect. This was amazing. No one would hear what happened in this room, no one would see it, and even better - no one could escape me even if they


    His head instantly snapped in my direction and eyes widened. "I didn''t know she was taken by your pack. They didn''t tell me you were the one who took her. Let me live and I will tell you everything, I swear I will."


    As he kept rambling nothing but nonsense, I grinned and quickly cut him off. "Deal, you live and tell me everything."


    "Wait, what?" He gasped. "You will let me live?"


    I nodded. "Isn''t that what I just said?"


    He seemed to be surprised by theck of hesitance from my side. The thing was that I was nning to use his words against him, but that was something he didn''t need to know from the get-go.


    "Her parents. They sent me in this direction. They told me they''re not sure in which pack exactly she is, so I''ve been reaching out to people I know to see if she is anywhere around the area," he blurted out. "Hmmm," I stepped closer. "And what was in that drink you offered her?"


    Again, his eyes widened. The fucker probably thought I wanted only the basic information, not everything.


    "Sedatives," he muttered.


    "You can repeat that, but louder and with more details. Also, I want to know why on fucking Earth you thought using those on someone who doesn''t have their wolf yet is a good idea." As my own assumptions ran through my mind, I approached him and bent in my knees toe face to face with the scared piece of shit. "What were you nning to do to my little spitfire, huh?"


    Any moment now, his eyes should pop out of their sockets. Every word I spoke seemed to surprise him one way or another.


    "Y-yours?" He stuttered.


    Of course, that had to be the wildest of the things I said, right? Not like anyone could imagine someone as pure and beautiful as Aife to willingly enter a rtionship with a monster like me. "That''s what I said. Mine. Now, I want answers."


    He nodded his head and licked his lips. "At first, I had no n but when I saw you left her there alone, I added the powder to the beer I was drinking to knock her out cold and drag her away. I thought that I had enough time to pretend to be a friend, so bystanders wouldn''t question me."


    "Enough time?" I arched an eyebrow. Did this guy have eyes around him? What if I missed something and didn''t notice that there were more men than him alone?


    "I took a wild guess, okay? I assumed you left to use the bathrooms, but I was there minutes earlier and saw the stupidly long lines. So, I figured you wouldn''te back for a long time and I could slip away unnoticed. I think it''s pretty clear that I didn''t want to enter your territory."


    So far, so good. Everything he said made sense, but we still hadn''t reached the answers I wanted. "Sedatives. What kind and why?"


    "They gave me the stuff. Her father warned me she could have a bad reaction to them so I was allowed to use them only if really needed. I didn''t know she didn''t have her wolf yet, I swear."


    "So you were the middle man, I assume? The one hired to drag her back to her family?" I asked, just to make sure.


    Clearly, he had more ns for my Aife. I saw the look in his eyes when I approached them. I saw the me of lust burning in his eyes even after I ruined the moment.


    Sadly, cowardly fucks like him didn''t know how to admit their crimes, let alone their secret ns, so I doubted he would ever admit how far he was nning to go.


    "Yes, only that. I got the area, maps, some money and sedatives. They want her back within a month, I think they sent more hires out, I wouldn''t be surprised if they were on their way to your territory already." He spoke so fast, I couldn''t catch on all the words, but the ones that mattered were loud and clear.


    "A month? Why a month?" I took a risk with this question. Not only he probably didn''t know the answer, but also, most likely, if it was important - he wouldn''t tell me.


    The fucker shrugged. "No idea. Killian mentioned something about her birthday, but nothing more than that came up if anyone but her family and Killian were around."


    "So you''re telling me they went to Killian and hid there?"


    I let those idiots live only after they imed they wouldn''t go to that fuck to seek shelter. Well, now that I knew that they had broken the deal, next time, nothing would hold me back from killing them.


    "He, Killian, he is my Alpha. The family arrived three days ago, everyone was surprised to see them as we thought they were dead. Miracles happen, I guess. They''ve been hiding there for a couple of days, really. I think they came for help to find their daughter."


    Something about the situation wasn''t adding up. "Is there a mother involved?"


    "No," he quickly shook his head. "Step-sister and father only."

 100: Someone to fight for.

    **Bane pov**


    "Bullshit. Aife is an only child," I spat at the man.


    No matter how much he wanted to trick me, I wouldn''t allow him to. Before I dragged Aife here, I did some research and actually sent men to look after the pack, so I knew more than they thought.


    "No, she isn''t. There''s another daughter. I don''t know the details about them, but I swear, there''s another daughter," he kept insisting.


    It wasn''t like I had many conversations with Aife about family history in general, but I still couldn''t believe that she wouldn''t mention having a sibling.


    That, however, was something I had to push aside and focus onter. Now, I had more important things to deal with.


    "Is there more details you can share or is that all?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest and ring at him.


    He took a moment to think and shook his head. "That''s all I got. Can I go now?"


    Ah, there it was, the naive nature of Killian''s men in its glory.


    A dark, deep chuckle left me. I couldn''t believe he actually thought that he could toss some bits and pieces at me, and then just leave as if nothing happened.


    "I told you that if you tell me everything, you live. I don''t recall iming you would leave unharmed. Pal, you and your Alpha are bound to learn a lesson."


    His eyes widened as he started looking around for an exit. Clearly, he wanted to escape me, but I wouldn''t allow him to. Killian knew better than to get his nose in my business. If he was willing to risk the safety and lives of his own men to get what he wanted, who was I to stand in his way?


    "But you said-"


    I quickly cut him off, "I said you would live. Again, I never told you I wouldn''t hurt you. I will. Very, very fucking bad."


    With that being said, I walked to the locker in the corner of the room and unlocked it. Although I could go for many different things to torture the fucker, an axe caught my attention first.


    I reached inside and gripped it as the corner of my mouth twitched. It had been so long since thest time I got the pleasure of spilling blood, the sensation of holding a weapon nearly overwhelmed me.


    And best of all, I got to do whatever I wanted while Aife was asleep and had no idea about what I was up to. She would never find out about what happened down here.


    Slowly spinning around, I grinned at the terrified man. He pressed his back against the wall, tears filled his eyes and the stench of his fear filled the room. "Please, I have a family," he tried to plead.


    "So do I. But you didn''t seem to care when you tried to talk my family into drinking the sedatives, did you?" I announced as I stepped closer to him.


    Aife had grown on me. So much so that I truly considered her my family. If I were lucky enough, one day, we could build a family of our own. If only I was lucky enough...


    "I fucked up, I know, but I was sent by my Alpha. You should know how hard, in fact, impossible, it is to ignore Alpha''smands. I didn''t have a choice," he kept arguing.


    "Yes," I nodded as I closed in on him. "That is exactly why I won''t take this too far and torture you. I really fucking want to, but I''m a fair man, and I know how it is sometimes. Anyway, taking in the circumstances, I will allow you to leave alive. But, I need something from you."


    Without thinking, he dropped to his knees and started nodding. "Yes, anything, whatever you want, I will do it, just spare me."


    "A limb."


    "What?" His voice broke as the simple word rolled over his lips.


    "I never said the exchange would be fair. I think it is, but clearly, since you''re on the losing end, I suppose you would disagree. So, which one will it be?" I grinned and gripped the ax, ready for the action. The sooner we would get over this, the sooner I could go home and get some sleep next to my woman. Just thinking about wrapping my arms around her and pulling her closer made me warm inside.


    As the pleasant sensation spread through my body, another joined it. Anger, burning, all-consuming anger. That is what this man wanted to take away from me. He came here and imed he wasn''t doing any damage as his n failed, while in reality, he wanted to take everything I had.


    If I had arrivedter and he managed to go through with his sick ideas, he could have taken Aife away from me. And that was all I needed for the switch inside my brain to flip.


    I was left inplete darkness, no control over my body or actions. I heard a scream in the background, felt something ssh over my face and body, but didn''t see a thing. *I''m free, finally I''m fucking free.*


    His voice was hoarse as he hadn''t used it in ages, but once it echoed against the walls and reached me, panic surged through my entire being. I couldn''t allow him to get out of here and do something to Aife. Gritting my teeth, I fought back. I gripped the invisible rope that held us apart and pulled on it with all my might. I might have fallen for his tricks in the past, but not anymore. Now, I had someone to fight for.


    I could feel sweat breaking out on my forehead as he thrashed against me, doing his best to fight off every attempt I had to take control.


    *One day, one day I wille to the surface and end her. Mark my words, coward, I will end her!*


    That was all he managed to scream before I finally pushed one,st time and slowly regained the vision. It wasn''t longer than a few minutes that he took advantage of the situation, but the man who had tried to kidnap Aife definitely wasn''t going to walk out of this pack anymore.


    The scream I heard earlier and the feeling of being sshed with something suddenly made sense. I was covered in blood, from head to toes, and the head of the many on the opposite side of the room, away from his body.


    I dropped the ax and cursed under my breath. This wasn''t the n. I needed him to walk out of here and serve as a warning, not disappear for good.


    If Killian''s men saw their friend, returning with a missing limb, they would get the message. Now, it seemed, I had killed the fucking messenger.

 101: You have his heart.

    **Aife pov**


    Waking up felt different. I had gotten used to having Bane''s arms around me, his body pressed against mine, but even while he was still asleep, he seemed different.


    How I could tell that was beyond me, but the feeling didn''t fade even when his eyes opened and a bright smile spread across his lips.


    His hold around me tightened as Bane pecked my cheek and muttered, "good morning, sleeping beauty."


    Why, all of a sudden, I felt such unease around him?


    My eyes took in his features as I sought out what was off with him, but I couldn''t find anything. He still looked like the same Bane who had kissed me goodnight the night before. But there was something...


    Sensing something was off, as always, Bane offered a way to distract me. "Are you ready for your girls day with Amelia? I already sent her a message and got confirmation, she''s beyond happy to spend a day with you."


    Hearing his words, I pushed Bane away from me and got out of the bed. I ran to the bathroom to take a shower while heughed at my eagerness.


    As I stepped inside the bathroom, I dropped my clothes on the floor and was about to step into the shower, but again, the uneasy feeling overwhelmed me.


    Guessing that had to be because of the clothes on the floor, I quickly picked them up and dropped them in theundry basket. But I didn''t step away from it or start the shower.


    Instead, I stared at the clothes in the basket. Slowly, the feeling started making sense.


    The reason why Bane felt different was because he had done something awful while I was asleep. The stench of blood was so potent, at one point, I had gotten used to it.


    Even when Bane joined me and stood behind me, I didn''t move a muscle. His hands wrapped around me and he instantly rested his chin on my shoulder. "Please don''t ask questions. There was an ident. That''s all I''m willing to share for now, just focus on my words. An ident happened."


    My heart squeezed. How could he call an entire load ofundry, soaked in blood, an ident?


    Was it the man from yesterday that Bane had killed? Wasn''t there a way to deal with issues without instantly taking lives andmitting crimes?


    Gulping, I slowly spun around in his arms and raised my hand to his cheek. Bane instantly leaned into my touch, closed his eyes and sighed. "I promise it was an ident," he whispered.


    As much as I wanted to attack him with questions, Bane looked so tired and sad, I couldn''t.


    "Okay," I managed to whisper. "I need to take a shower."


    At those words, his eyes shot open and again, I could see the spark dancing in his eyes. "Perfect, I need to take a shower too and we could save some water if we take it together." "Only if you wash my hair," I teased.


    To my surprise, Bane started stipping so fast, he nearly fell over. "I''m great at that. I think I''ve cracked a code or might as well be called a professional hairdresser, I''m so good at washing hair."


    At times when he acted like a happy child, I really enjoyed his presence. In fact, I enjoyed being around him for most of the time, but there were some instances where I really wanted some distance between us. Despite everything I found in the bathroom, I took a shower with Bane and tried to shake off the thoughts. I could trust Amelia, so I would discuss my suspicions with herter.


    The time I spent with Bane went by in a blur. He washed my hair and insisted on washing my body too. For someone so rough, his touch was surprisingly gentle.


    Then, he helped me get dressed. It seemed that it didn''t matter to Bane that I had the ability to do things on my own, he kept insisting he wanted to do everything for me.


    Just to make the whole situation even more ridiculous, when we heard the front door to the house open and Amelia called out that she had arrived, Bane scooped me in his arms and carried me downstairs. "Good morning, Alpha," she happily greeted Bane.


    "Amelia," he grunted.


    Her eyes darted between us and an amused, smug grin spread across her lips. Bane carefully set me back to my feet, held my face in his hands and pressed the most delicate kiss to my lips. "I need to deal with some stuff at the main building. If you need me, you can find me there or just tell one of the guards that I need toe home, okay?" He whispered.


    I nodded and assured him we would be okay.


    Bane thought that Amelia and I would leave the territory, but that was thest thing I wanted today. I was in the mood for some gossip, tea and maybe movies, not adventures. I had plenty of those yesterday.


    "Make sure she doesn''t get herself in trouble, yea?" Bane said to Amelia and she instantly agreed, iming she would never let me do anything he didn''t approve of. Such a liar. "Alright. Behave,dies."


    And then, as soon as Bane left and the door closed behind him, Amelia shed me the most shit-eating grin I had ever seen. "You have him wrapped around your finger, don''t you?"


    I rolled my eyes and her and plopped down on the couch. "No, I don''t. Bane acts however he wants to act with everyone. It just so happens that he''s, I guess nicer, with me. And besides, he kind of asked me out so I suppose we''re dating now."


    While I tried to sound as unbothered as possible, it was clear that Amelia was going through masses of different emotions with every word I offered.


    She jumped, pped her hands and sat next to me, pushing her body incredibly close to mine. "Oh my, tell me more. No, tell me everything. How did it happen? When he took you from our house, I was so scared he would do awful things to you and send me back to reject housings, but he did nothing of sorts. You need to tell me your secret. What did you do to change the Alpha?"


    I stared at Amelia as if she was exining how she could grow another head. "I did nothing. Everything just happened, I guess. He''s just... Different."


    "Just different? Yeah, repeat that a few more times and watch me not fall for it. The Alpha isn''t just different, he''s apletely new person. At least from the little encounter I got to watch. He even carried you here. Are you hurt?" "I''m not hurt," I rolled my eyes again.


    "Point proven. He doesn''t want you to walk around on your own, so he''s carrying you around. I have no idea what you did, but you clearly have his heart hostage," Amelia muttered thest words.


    My head snapped in her direction and eyes widened. "His heart hostage? What kind of romance books are you reading these days?"


    Ameliaughed at my question and ignored it. "I''m serious. Don''t think that this is the first day I have spent in this pack. I have watched Alpha for a long time, maybe even too long. I saw him with his girlfriend. Back then, he was smitten, that much was clear, but never to this level that he is with you. I don''t know if you''re still nning to leave, so all I will say is you need to watch your back and be careful. You know how far Alpha Bane can go. I seriously think you have his heart and if you happen to leave him, be warned that he will stop at nothing to get it back."

 102: Pack a bag.

    **Aife pov**


    I listened to Amelia rant about everything she knew about Bane. Starting with what kind of Alpha he was to everything she had witnessed during hisst rtionship, but didn''t offer any of my thoughts. This was supposed to be a fun day with a friend, not another chance to discuss Bane.


    It felt a little weird when Amelia kept addressing him as my crazy boyfriend, but I saw where she wasing from, so I didn''t correct her either. When she finally realized I wasn''t paying much attention to her words, she announced that she was hungry and disappeared in the kitchen.


    As if they had agreed on something, a guard entered the house just when she entered the kitchen.


    "Luna?" He called out, catching my attention.


    "I''m in the living room," I shouted.


    The man that entered didn''t look a day older than eighteen. He seemed all sorts of ufortable as his eyes darted everywhere but at me. Had Bane told his men they weren''t allowed to look at me?


    "Alpha sent me here to tell you that unfortunately, the day with your friend has to be cut short. Something came up; he needs you to pack a bag, and be ready to leave in thirty minutes. He wanted me toe here and make sure you could manage on your own. If not, he cane back."


    My jaw nearly hit the floor. It couldn''t have been any longer than maybe an hour since Bane left and now, he wanted me to drop all the ns and just pack a bag?


    Taking the risk that probably wouldn''t give me anything, I cleared my throat and looked at the ufortable guard, "why am I supposed to pack a bag?"


    "I don''t have knowledge about any details, my apologies, Luna," he muttered.


    Frowning, I decided I wouldn''t blindly followmands, especially those given by Bane and delivered by someone else. If he wanted me to follow him like a puppy, he had toe here himself.


    "Okay. In that case, could you please be so kind as to tell the Alpha that I''m incapable of packing the bag without a big, strong man at my side? Emphasis on the big, strong man part." I offered the guard a grin. Finally, he looked at me. "I- I couldn''t."


    Slowly, I got up from my seat and stepped closer. "You can. All you have to say is ''Luna said, and I quote,'' and then, just add my words. Doesn''t sound that bad, right?"


    "Luna, you don''t understand. He will kill me if I mention you and a man in one sentence. I''m too young to die."


    I couldn''t help butugh at him. All of these people feared Bane for the wrong reasons.


    "Maybe you have a phone then? Dial his office and I will speak to him myself." I even extended my hand, waiting on him.


    Although hesitant, he still reached in his pocket and pulled out a mobile phone. The guard kept ncing at me and muttering something under his breath as he dialed the number and brought the phone to his ear.


    I knew Bane had answered the phone as soon as the boy''s eyes widened and color drained from his face. "My apologies, I didn''t mind-link because I''m not the one who wanted to talk to you, Alpha. Luna wants to," the guard whispered. "Oh, yes, sure, my apologies," he quickly added and offered me the phone. "Alpha wants to talk to you."


    "Can I walk around while I talk or do I have to stay here? I promise I won''t steal your phone," I questioned the guard before I paid any attention to Bane.


    In all honesty, I needed to get away from everyone as none of the things I was nning to tell Bane could be considered anywhere near innocent.


    "Whatever makes you morefortable. I don''t mind staying around and waiting." The guard finally shed me a smile.


    I nodded, spun around and walked up the stairs, finally bringing the phone to my ear. "Hi."


    A loud, heavy sigh left him before Bane spoke, mimicking me. "Hi."


    "Wow, and is that how you greet your girlfriend?" I seriously struggled to keep up the act withoutughing at how stupid I sounded.


    "What? No!" The panic that dripped from those two words was just asughable as it was endearing. "That''s nowhere close to the way I would greet you, and you know that. Let''s say I''m confused about why you asked the guard to call me. Has something happened?"


    I listened to Bane pace around the office for a bit, just to drag out the time a little. He deserved to experience some suspense after he decided to cut my day short.


    "So?" He finally broke.


    I giggled at the annoyance I could nearly feel radiating off him as I slowly entered the bedroom and scanned it. "Well, I was told I had to pack a bag and be ready to leave in thirty minutes," I parroted the guard''s words. "Yes, that would be correct."


    "And also, I was told the guard was there to make sure I could manage the task on my own."


    Bane remained silent for a bit and then repeated himself. "That would be correct."


    He was such a strong and smart man, but at times, Bane couldn''t see how he was digging his own grave with every word that left his lips.


    "But you see," I started as I walked toward the bed and sat down. "I don''t think I could ever manage a task as important as packing my own bag without a strong, big man at my side. I couldn''t be trusted to do it alone."


    Honestly, at first, I thought that Bane could see through my bullshit and would probably ignore every stupid thing I said. But, Bane being Bane, he reactedpletely opposite to what I assumed he would.


    A loud growl left him and I heard something break in the background as he added, "be there in a minute," and the call ended.


    I stared at the phone in my hand with my jaw hanging. Holding onto the remaining hope that Bane could have understood the joke, I dialed the number again and started pacing the room as it kept calling, but there was no response. Panicking, I called again. Bane couldn''t have taken me seriously, he just couldn''t.


    What if the joke I tried to y would end in disaster? What if he would decide to go back to his old ways ande up with punishments for me?


    Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heardmotion from downstairs that was followed with heavy steps up the stairs. Gripping the phone in my hand, I turned my body to the door, held my breath, and waited for Bane''s arrival. I managed to experience a tiny mental breakdown by the time Bane appeared in the doorframe and grinned at me. Slowly, he closed in on me, a twinkle of mischief ying in his eyes.


    The moment he stopped in front of me, Bane leaned closer and whispered, "the strong, big man you ordered is here. Do as you please for I am nothing but y in your hands."

 103: Stuff I found on Google.

    **Aife


    pov**


    My breath hitched and suddenly, I wasn''t so sure about my idea anymore. Especially when his arm snuck around my waist to pull me incredibly close against him and Bane''s lips slowly traveled down my neck.


    When he reached the crook of my neck, he inhaled my scent and let out a loud growl. I knew men had a weird obsession with that part of a woman''s body simply because that was where they left their marks, but Bane''s clear liking of it sometimes worried me.


    At times, I feared he would lose control and mark me. I hadn''t reached the age, hadn''t met my wolf yet, and if he were to do that, I would never meet my true mate. If I had one...


    Bane''s grip around me tightened, so I decided to distract him. "Now that you''re here, you could actually tell me why you sent the guard to tell me to pack. Where are we going? And most importantly, why?"


    His body tensed as Bane hesitated a little. That was all I needed to know he was about to tell me some lies. "We''re going on a camping trip. I want more time with you. Is that a crime for a boyfriend to want to spend some time in privacy with his girlfriend? Have I gotten all this rtionship thing wrong?"


    As much as I wanted to confront him, I could tell there was something on his mind. Something bad that worried him, so I let Bane feed his lies to me.


    "What should I pack? I don''t think there''s a tent in that closet."


    Baneughed at the remark and slowly led me inside the closet. He pulled some bags from the top shelves and handed them to me. "Clothing only. We will stay in a cabin my parents built when I was a kid. No need to worry about dust and possible allergies, I have it cleaned every week even if I don''t go there. We can call this our weekend getaway," he winked.


    Somehow, Bane managed to make me feel like I was someone special. Every time he tried to do something nice for me, a sensation of warmth spread through my chest.


    Maybe it was because although he didn''t know me, he still remained mindful of every possibility and tried to make sure I wouldn''t feel ufortable.


    The man he was when he first brought me here was nothingpared to the man he was today.


    While I was stalling, Bane didn''t waste any time loading up the bags for me and him. The speed at which he was doing everything made me a little suspicious. What could have happened for him to want to leave this fast? In no time, he was holding two loaded duffle bags as he tilted his head towards the door.


    I walked out of the closet and moved closer to the bedroom door just toe to a sudden halt. ncing at him over my shoulder, I raised an eyebrow. "I''m not sure where we are supposed to go, so why am I walking in front of you, not the other way around?"


    Bane grinned. "Maybe because I hate seeing you go but sure do love watching you leave."


    My cheeks instantly tinted bright red as I stepped aside and waited for Bane to start walking.


    "Oh,e on, I can get at least that much, can''t I? Besides, it''s not like I''m some creep who keeps everything a secret, I actually told you I''m literally enjoying the view. What''s the issue?" Laughing, I pped his arm and shoved him a little. "Let''s get going, you seemed to be in a rush when you packed the bags. Besides, I need to return the phone to its owner." The stressful situation turned into an amusing one as we kept teasing each other and tossing remarks at one another until we finally reached thest step of the stairs.


    Amelia stood next to the guard, her arms crossed in front of her chest, a frown on her face. I kind of understood why she looked so unhappy as we were promised a whole day together.


    "Amelia, I must apologize to you as there has been a change of ns and the day has to be cut short. I''m sure you understand that unexpected things do happen. I will make sure we return soon and you two will get to have your day." The guard, Amelia, heck, even me, we all stared at Bane as if he had grown another head. I knew he was capable of apologizing when needed, but he hadn''t done that to anyone but me.


    "It''s fine, Alpha. There''s no need to apologize and I do understand," Amelia blurted out as soon as she came back to her senses.


    Bane took the phone from me and handed it back to the guard. "Thank you for letting her call me. Take the rest of the day off and tell the others they can do the same. We will leave now."


    The guard nodded and excused himself, dragging Amelia along. She actually muttered something about needing to ask some questions, but he had none of it.


    As my friend was basically taken away from me, Bane took my hand and pulled me towards the door. Again, we got inside the car and, not surprisingly, he refused to tell me anything about how far the cabin was or in which direction it could be.


    During the drive, Bane busied himself calling different people, rescheduling meetings and ensuring the food delivery to the cabin had already been made. By the time he finished, I felt like a whole eternity had passed.


    "You seriously won''t tell me anything? Not even a single, tiny detail?" I huffed.


    Baneughed and ced his hand on my thigh. "I can give you one tiny detail, if it''s so crucial. You already know where we are going - a getaway at a cabin, hidden away from everyone. The detail you get is that I kind of went out of my way toe up with the most romantic stuff I found on Google."


    My head snapped in his direction. "You can''t tell me you just admitted you had to Google romantic stuff.¡±


    Bane pulled his hand away from me and brought it to the back of his neck. His eyes didn''t leave the road even for a second as he cleared his throat and shifted in his seat a little. "Well, I just did, I guess. Honestly, I get it has to be very hard to notice, but I''m not exactly the most romantic guy out there, but I''m trying, okay? I needed some ideas to base ns on. Most of the ideas I found, I used them as inspiration and did the rest myself."


    And there it was, the warm feeling in my chest was back. How Bane was doing that truly was beyond me. I couldn''t see him as the person he once was anymore.


    Whatever was the real reason behind his sudden decision to visit the forest cabin - I had to be grateful for it, good or bad. Really, whatever it was, without it, I wouldn''t get an experience like this with Bane without it. "Thank you," I whispered and looked out of the window.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see him grip the steering wheel so hard, I could see his knuckles turning white.


    "I''ll take a quick nap, if you don''t mind. And seriously, thank you," I added and closed my eyes.


    At first, I couldn''t fall asleep, the bumps on the road and the car engine kept me awake, but I didn''t bother to open my eyes anymore. But after a while, just when tiredness finally caught up with me and I was about to doze off, I heard his voice, barely a whisper.


    "Thank you, for what? For loving you? Don''t thank me."

 104: I might try to run.

    **Bane


    pov**


    From the moment I saw her standing in the bedroom, I noticed the questions running through her head. As always, Aife didn''t question me. She let me lie. At times, I found it funny how she didn''t realize how easy it was to read her.


    But at moments as such, I both enjoyed and hated that. Enjoyment came from the fact that she didn''t question me too much. Hatred was built in a ce of worry. Whatever happened next, I couldn''t let her know the true reason behind my sudden decision.


    Earlier in the day, when I left Aife with Amelia and headed to the main building, I thought this would be like any other day. Oh, how fucking wrong I was.


    Today, I found out I had more issues than those on my agenda. It turned out I had a freaking traitor living under my roof.


    No other thing would exin what I found inside my office.


    As soon as I stepped inside, I noticed it - ced perfectly in the middle of my desk. An envelope, sealed with a wax seal I had seen before but never paid much attention to it. Inside the envelope was a note, written in blood. It was a direct threat to my Luna, a promise that shook me to my core.


    Even as all I could see was the road ahead, the images of the note shed before my eyes.


    *Alpha Bane. I write to congratte you for finally finding someone who can deal with your monstrous nature. Cheers to the new couple. For now. While I am in no ce to threaten someone as powerful as you, I can give promises. And the promise I give you today is simple - she is next.*


    Cold shivers ran down my spine as I nced at Aife. She had fallen asleep and I, on the other hand, had managed to admit that I had fallen for her.


    I couldn''t voice my feelings so soon, that much I knew. If I rushed into anything, I could scare her away and that truly was thest thing I wanted to do.


    Instead of pitying my little ck heart, I focused on driving. In no time, I parked the car in front of the small cabin and got out of it.


    Aife was still sleeping, so I locked the car and checked the surroundings. My men were in their posts, already ensuring the area was secure.


    Then, I did a quick check of the cabin. Everything was in its ces, even the decorations I ordered for everyone to put out. Best of all, the table was set, food was ready and all I had to do was light up the candles.


    A smile spread across my lips as I returned to the car and she was already awake. I unlocked the car and opened the door for her just when Aife frowned. "Why did you lock me in there? Scared I might try to run?"


    I shook my head. "Nope. Safety reasons. I can''t let you sleep in the car that isn''t locked. While you think it''s no big deal, it''s a massive one for me. Keep in mind that I haven''t been quite secretive when ites to you and your role in my life. Also, I wouldn''t im everyone''s fond of me. There are more people who would go out of their way to hurt me than you think, which in turn, would make you an easy target."


    As soon as the words left me, her eyes started scanning the surroundings. I tossed my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, chuckling. "No need to panic, sweetheart. Just because we''re hidden away in the middle of the woods doesn''t mean I forgot anything. Our men have surrounded us, if anything happens, we will be alerted and I''ll have enough time to get you to safety."


    Now, she rxed a little and nodded. Since Aife was biting the inside of her cheek, I could tell she was worried and tried to hide it.


    I really couldn''t think of a way to calm her, so I did the one thing that always worked for me. I kissed her.


    The moment our lips met, she melted against me.


    No matter how many times I kissed this woman, every time felt like the first time. Then, there was the overwhelming feeling of her, fitting in my arms perfectly.


    It still seemed surreal how I found her with the sole intention of hurting her, but now, I couldn''t imagine doing that. I couldn''t even think of a possibility of letting anyone hurt her.


    I didn''t want her anywhere else but in my arms. Aife started as another nobody I wanted to use as a pawn in my game and turned into someone who had me in the palm of her hand.


    She was the only one I could think about, she was the only one I wanted. And the more time we spent together, the harder it became to deny that I needed her. I had to admit that if I didn''t have her, I didn''t have anything at all. As we broke the kiss, she peered up at me and shed me another one of her blinding smiles. "Are we ever going to enter that cabin or are you nning to make me stay here so your men can have a show?" She teased. Although I knew it was a joke, fire zed in my chest. Just thinking of my men, watching her the way only I should, pissed me off.


    I used the moment, sweeped her in my arms, and carried her inside the cabin. Her reaction was close to the one I hoped.


    The moment she noticed the table and lights around the cabin, Aife gasped. "Did you do this?"


    "Yeah," I cleared my throat. "Well, kind of. I had help, obviously. Couldn''t have done this before we arrived so I asked some of the pack members to decorate, set the table and cook. It''s only the beginning, don''t worry. I have more ns forter." Aife pressed her lips to my cheek andughed. "Thank you, this is amazing."


    Slowly, I set her to her feet and told her I would grab our bags. Aife sat on the small sofa and nodded, still trying to take in every detail around her.


    It took less than a minute for me to run to the car, grab the duffles and run back inside the cabin. But, apparently, it was enough for Aife to find something that ruined her mood.


    I dropped both bags next to the door and walked towards her. "Sweetheart? What happened?"


    She appeared paler than usual and the aura that surrounded her was tense. A lump instantly grew in my throat, expanding with every second she refused to look at me.


    When Aife finally did, I stopped in my tracks. She looked like she had just seen a ghost as she tried to hand me something she was holding.


    Whatever it was, it had visibly shaken her. My eyes traveled down to her hand and I instantly recognized the handwriting and the envelope. The same as one I found in my office, but this one had my name on it.


    "Why does the envelope with your name on it smell like blood? I tried my best to stay silent, I wasn''t going to ask questions, but I can''t stay silent anymore. I can''t. Bane, what is happening? What are you hiding from me?"

 105: Truth or nothing.

    **Bane pov**


    Against my better judgment, I snatched the envelope from her and walked away without uttering a word.


    Aife called after me, but instead of acting like an adult and giving her a peace of mind, I told her to remain where she was and left the cabin. "Gather around!" I screamed at the top of my lungs and the next moment, my men left their positions and surrounded me.


    I scanned the crowd and frowned. Every single person around me looked confused, yet I couldn''t point out even one man I didn''t trust.


    This bunch were the ones I couldn''t doubt. Every single one of them had proved to me their loyalty in one way or another plenty of times.


    "I need you guys to stay as close to the cabin as possible. Everyone has to stay here, no questions asked. Luna is inside, you protect her and give up your life for her if needed." My eyes scanned them all and again, not even one appeared sketchy. "Is that clear?"


    "Yes, Alpha," they agreed in unison.


    "Good. Keep your eyes on her. I would actually prefer it if some of you would keep herpany while I take a walk. I need some fresh air."


    All of them nodded in agreement and just as I started walking away, three men entered the cabin while the rest took positions around it. Once I got in a safe distance, I pressed my back against a tree and closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths before I opened the envelope.


    *Alpha Bane. I see you have received and read my first letter, but I haven''t received an answer. How rude. Don''t you think ignoring others might make youe around as offensive? I do think so, but I suppose it goes to show how different our upbringing was. It''s a nice cabin you have over there, hidden in the woods, away from prying eyes. How convenient. Tell me, doesn''t it scare you? Aren''t you worried that you took your Luna to a ce that could be considered perfect for a crime? No witnesses. I''m starting rambing here. Not the best approach to writing letters, right? We shall meet soon, expect me, Alpha Bane.*


    The hand that clutched the piece of paper started shaking. Now, I knew that the traitor wasn''t my biggest problem anymore. There was more to the picture than I could see.


    Anyone could have left these letters around me, but no one but the few helpers and basically the entire security crew knew where we were heading.


    Worst of all, I didn''t see the envelope when I did my first sweep of the ce, which meant it had to be nted there when I went to let Aife out of the car. My heart stopped for a second. What if...


    No, it couldn''t be possible. There was no way Aife had anything to do with those threatening letters. In the cabin, maybe, but not in the office.


    And besides, why would she do anything like that? What could she gain?


    As the time went on, I realized I wasn''t getting any calmer. All I did was hide away like a coward instead of confronting the problem. On top of that, I left Aife behind again. *Why would you force us in danger for some woman?*


    Great, as if I didn''t have enough on my shoulders already, the fucker was back to prove that my life could, in fact, get even worse.


    "I don''t know, maybe because I''m pretty sure I am in love with her? Not that you would know how it feels, the only one you care about is yourself," I snapped back at him.


    *I said "us" not "me", doesn''t that mean I care about you?*


    A bitter chuckle left me as I shook my head in utter disbelief. "The only reason why you care about me at all is because I am what you call your ''flesh suit''. You need me to keep on living, that''s why you''re suddenly so fucking caring." *I won''t argue about that. I need you to live. You need me to live.*


    "Keep telling yourself that nonsense. The fact remains the same - I can live without you, but you without me, yeah, that would be impossible. How about you drop your usual attitude and instead of constantly sabotaging my life you could help me figure this out?"


    *Oh, I would love to. Hand me over the control and I will solve your mystery in no time.*


    The tone of his voice became softer in no time. He sounded sickeningly sweet, so much so that there was no way I could fall for his games.


    He was nning something, but it wasn''t anything connected to helping me. I suspected that he wanted control to get close to Aife and hurt her.


    This shit we called our life was getting moreplicated every day. At this point, I seriously feared that everyone had hidden agendas and their goal was nothing but to hurt the woman I loved.


    Why, of all the people, they chose Aife was beyond me.


    *Are you going to hand me the control? Don''t waste time, Bane. Stop acting so spineless, stop showing weakness and let me help you. I am the only one who will help you.*


    He didn''t shut up. After one lie came the other and the more I listened, the more desperate I grew toe up with a way to rid myself of his influence for good.


    No matter how hard I tried to focus on my breathing and calm down, nothing worked for me. I had no idea how much time I had spent away from her when I realized that maybe this was what the bloody voice in my head wanted.


    He was distracting me, stalling to win more time. The longer I listened to him, the longer time I spent away from Aife.


    Since I was quite far from the cabin, there was a risk that if anyone were to attack her and my men, I wouldn''t hear screams and the sounds of the fight.


    Panic instantly surged through me as I imagined scenarios of an attack. I hid the letter in the pocket of my pants and ran like my life depended on how fast I could be.


    By the time I got back to the cabin, I was out of breath. Thankfully, there were no signs of an attack and my men still stood around the tiny building.


    What didn''t sit too well with me was how silent it was. No sounds came from the cabin, there were no voices and noughter at all.


    Getting closer, I nced at my men. For some reason, they all looked disappointed and shook their heads in disapproval. To make matters worse, none even bothered to look my way.


    My heart hammered against my ribcage as I opened the door and stepped inside. Although I had seen some of my men enter the cabin earlier, there weren''t any inside now. The only person in the cabin was Aife. She sat at the table, alone.


    When her gaze found mine, I instantly felt like the worst person alive. The hurt that shed in her eyes was heartbreaking.


    "I-" I tried to exin myself, but she cut me off by raising her hand.


    "Don''t give me another disappointing excuse. Truth or nothing at all."

 106: I don’t want to lose us.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Bane left me behind. Again. But I couldn''t say it surprised me.


    Unlike other times, he sent someone in to entertain me, but it was clear that his men were just as ufortable in my presence as I was in theirs.


    The jokes they told each other weren''t funny to me. The topics they discussed didn''t interest me and in general, we were nothing but strangers to one another.


    At one point, I couldn''t take it anymore so I moved away from them and sat at the table that had been set for a romantic meal.


    I wasn''t hungry, all I really wanted was thepany I was promised, but even that was too much for Bane.


    Soon after I sat at the table, one of the men got up from the couch and approached me. He didn''t sit at the table and stood at a pretty safe distance, but it was clear he had questions.


    "You don''t have to wait until I tell you that you''re allowed to speak, you know. If you want to ask or say anything, feel free to do so," I tried to encourage him.


    The guard cleared his throat and switched his weight from one leg to another as his eyes darted everywhere but at me. "Yeah, do you want thepany? We can talk about anything, even fashion and women stuff. I know things about periods too."


    I couldn''t help butugh at his attempt to ease the tension that was surrounding us all. "No, I don''t want to keep you guys tied to me. Feel free to enjoy yourself and discuss whatever you please. I don''t mind being on my own. Promise." The guard looked genuinely relieved, but still stuck around. "Are you sure? We don''t mind providingpany if you need it."


    Once again, I repeated myself and assured him I would be fine on my own. He didn''t try to convince me otherwise anymore and at one point, I guess all of them grew tired of sitting around me like babysitters and doing nothing.


    I noticed they had left only after Bane finally came back. He had been away for hours, so I was pretty curious about the excuse he might try to use now.


    However, once he stepped closer, I immediately noticed his intent to use some shitty lies to fool me.


    "I-" he stared, but I quickly raised my hand to stop him from going any further.


    "Don''t give me another disappointing excuse. Truth or nothing at all." The look on my face had to be enough, but clearly, Bane kept his act up and ignored it.


    "Can''t you hear me out first?" He ran a hand through his hair, an action I had seen so many times when he was stressed, overwhelmed and annoyed.


    Slowly, I rose from my seat and ced my hand on the table. "I can. Only if it''s the truth, not more lies you feed me just to keep me in the dark. I''ve given you many chances, more than you deserve, so I think this is about time you start appreciating it. Don''t take me for granted, Bane. Stop doing that."


    "I''m not," he tried to talk, but I stopped him again.


    "And I wasn''t done. You can''t expect me to listen if you can''t return the same favor. Now, as I was saying - don''t take me for granted. Don''t take my forgiveness for granted. I ampletely fine with you, hiding your past, but the present is ours, not only yours. Your secrets, the skeletons in your closet - share them at your own time. But whatever we share today, this moment, it has to be shared now. Give this some thought and decide if you will do the right thing or keep running away."


    With that being said, I pushed the chair back in ce and started walking towards the bedroom door.


    Bane tried to step closer and stop me, but I red at him so he froze mid-step.


    "I don''t intend to run," he muttered.


    His words did nothing but annoy me even more. "Right," I dragged the word to mock him. "You wouldn''t run because that isn''t what you did as soon as we entered the cabin, right? I told you this before - you run because that is all you know. Once there is a problem, you turn your back on it. Give my words some thought and approach me only if and when you are ready to talk."


    "What if it''s never? What if I will never be ready to discuss it?"


    I turned to Bane and offered him a sad smile. "Then maybe there is no future for us." I shrugged and disappeared inside the bedroom.


    The moment I pressed my back to the door, tears started streaming down my cheeks. I didn''t want this to end before it started, but I knew myself, I couldn''t be with someone who refused to open up.


    Bane wasn''t just emotionally unavable, he was locked up, wrapped in massive chains, and thrown in theke like some safe, filled with life threatening secrets.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to calm myself and stop crying, but no happy thoughts helped me to reach the goal.


    Giving up, I decided to get some sleep, but even that idea failed when Bane knocked on the door.


    "Don''t cry, sweetheart. I hate seeing you cry." His voice was low, strained, as if he was in pain. "You can''t see me now," I muttered.


    "I have a vivid imagination. Can I please enter? I don''t want to lose us, so I will do my best to answer any question you have."


    Honestly, I thought that I could drag out his apology and make him suffer a little, but as soon as Bane spat out the right words, I pushed myself off the door, opened it and let Bane enter.


    The first thing he did was wrap his arms around me and pull me into his embrace. "I don''t want to lose us. I don''t want to lose you. I can''t," he kept repeating as his hold around me grew increasingly tighter.


    "Why did you leave?" The question was weighing on me just as much as the answer was on him.


    A part of me expected more lies and avoidance, but instead, Bane sucked in a sharp breath and told me what sounded like nothing but the truth, just as I demanded.


    "Because of the envelope you handed me. It isn''t the first one of that kind I''ve gotten. Call me a coward, but I panicked and needed some distance. I needed to figure out my thoughts and think of what steps I should take next first. It''s not the envelope that scares me, it''s the person who has written those. I could ignore anything,ugh at threats and ill wishes, but I can''t deal with anyone threatening you."

 107: I know what my heart wants.

    **Aife pov**


    "Threatening me? What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow at his statements.


    The look on Bane''s face was enough proof for me to know he wasn''t lying. In fact, I didn''t think I had seen him this serious ever before.


    By now, I had seen many of his faces, even more of his moods, but up to now, I hadn''t seen him looking this distressed and scared. "Threatening your life," Bane whispered.


    Cold shivers ran down my spine as my body tensed. Why would anyone threaten my life? I didn''t think anyone but Bane, his pack members and my family knew where I was.


    As the thoughts ran through my mind, I decided to take a wild guess and see if we could get any closer to answers. "What if that''s my family? You mentioned they''re alive, so maybe it''s their way to get me back?"


    I didn''t want to believe my own suspicions, but I wouldn''t put this past my father; he was, after all, a man who cared more about his image than he did about those he imed he loved.


    "I don''t think so. This is more than a petty family feud," Bane instantly shut down my idea.


    Once again, his hold around me tightened, as if he feared that I could disappear if he didn''t hold me tight enough. To ease the tension, I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him.


    Bane was a man with great power, known to be a ruthless leader, but deep down, he was a hurt, misunderstood man. For some reason, he showed that part of himself only when he was with me...


    Slowly, I slid my fingers in his hair and gently scratched his scalp as I whispered, "we will be fine. Whoever is sending those letters doesn''t underthat whom he or she is messing with. If anyone, you are the one I would trust my life with. Experience shows how far you can go. Bane, you always act like a man on a mission, no mountain is too high for you to climb. I know you will keep me safe."


    His body instantly tensed. "I''m trying. I took you here to keep you safe, away from prying eyes, surrounded only by the men I would trust my own life with, but somehow, the letter still appeared on the darn sofa. I can''t trust anyone." I knew that there were no words I could say to calm him down, so instead, I did the only thing that worked with him.


    I ced my hands on the sides of his head and pulled my head back to gain ess to his lips. The moment they collided, a deep, desperate growl formed in Bane''s chest as his mouth wasted no time to assault mine.


    A moan escaped me just when he thrusted his tongue inside my mouth, tasting every bit of me he could reach.


    He didn''t loosen his hold around me as he slowly started leading me into the bedroom. The backs of my legs hit the bed and I lost my bnce, falling back and pulling Bane with me.


    Hended on top of me, but his lips didn''t stop the relentless attack on mine. When I was out of breath, I tapped his back so Bane pulled back. I expected a moment of gazing into each other''s eyes, but got nothing of sorts. Instead, he traced his lips over my jawline and down my neck until he reached the spot my mate would mark one day. He kissed, sucked and nibbled on the area.


    I didn''t think he was thinking about marking me, but I was pretty sure he was struggling to stop at just kissing when Bane started grinding against me.


    "Bane," I moaned his name as I slid my fingers into his hair, grabbed it, and tugged on it.


    "I can stop, I promise I won''t go too far," he whispered against my skin.


    With each thrust of his hips, waves of heat coursed through me. I had to bite my lip to keep the moans from escaping me.


    "But I don''t want to," he added, his voice a barely audible whisper.


    In any other situation, I was sure I would react differently, probably panicking and pushing him away, but now, all I did was try to get him even closer. Maybe both of us were stuck in some weird brain haze that was created by fear and adrenaline, but we both didn''t want to stop whatever we had started.


    And although I wasn''t fully sure if I was ready for a step like this, if I was ready to give Bane something I had hoped to save for my mate - I wanted to take that step, I wanted to leap into the unknown and be connected to him fully. Perhaps a few years from now, I would look back in time and call this moment a mistake, but even that possibility didn''t scare me as it should.


    "Then don''t stop," I whispered.


    Bane instantly froze. He held his breath as he slowly raised himself to hover over me and his eyes searched for something in mine. Was it fear that he tried to find? "Holy fuck," he breathed out. "You''re being serious."


    My cheeks started burning, making me feel like someone had pouredva over them, but I ignored the sensation and just nodded my head.


    "Use your words, sweetheart," Bane pleaded, his eyes still searching mine. "I''m begging you, use your words and tell me you''re not joking. Tell me you''re serious and this isn''t a decision you made just because you feel pressured. If you''re considering sleeping with me out of some sick obligation you might feel, I could never forgive myself for forcing myself on you."


    His voice sounded strained, as if he was in pain just because he let the words spill out of him.


    A massive lump formed in my throat. For a moment, it felt as if the lump kept growing and expanding, holding me back from giving him a verbal answer.


    I opened and closed my mouth, unable to find the right words to soothe the storm raging within him or force any of them out of me. I wanted to calm him, I wanted to tell him it was okay and I was ready to take this step with him, but I feared that I would sound off.


    Bane could easily tell it if I tried to lie just by listening. No one in my life had ever had the ability to tell something was off just by the tone of my voice, but he had it.


    It was as if the very man who had brought nothing but pain and suffering to me somehow became the only person who could truly understand me. The only person who could bring me happiness no one ever had bothered to try to create. As the thoughts ran through my mind, Bane took my silence as an attempt to get out of what I had started. He tried to get off me. The moment he moved, panic surged through me and I held onto him tighter, refusing to let go. "Don''t," was all I could manage to say.


    Bane shook his head and sucked in a deep breath. "No. You are overwhelmed and whatever you think you want isn''t what you actually want. You''re not ready. I already told you that I have taken many of your firsts and this isn''t something you''re obligated to give me."


    It was now or never. I had toe clean with him.


    He tried to pull away from me again, so I sucked in a breath and spilled my feelings. "Stop. You''re mistaken. I don''t have any pretty words to describe what I want," I confessed, my voice trembling with emotion. "In fact, I don''t have any words at all. But I know what I want. I know what my heart wants. It''s you. Just you. You''re it for me."

 108: The body of a Goddess should be worshiped.

    **Aife


    pov**


    "You won''t regret this?" Bane''s voice was low and shaky, I could hear the vulnerability he was trying to hide.


    No matter how big or muscr the man was, whatever happened in his mind and triggered his emotions didn''t rely on the strength he possessed.


    In fact, although I didn''t expect this cabin visit would end up with us being intimate, it seemed like he was more scared of the closeness we were about to share than I was. "I won''t," I breathed out the answer he was expecting and the next moment, his lips were on mine again.


    But this time, Bane kissed me with nothing but desperation. Although his kiss was gentle and soft, I could sense how much he wanted it, how desperately he needed me. So, I just gave in and let him control the situation. No hesitation whatsoever.


    Bane broke our hiss, stood up and grabbed my hands to pull me to my feet.


    First, his eyes scanned me and just when I started feeling a little ufortable under his gaze, his hands traveled over my body as he slowly slid off my clothes, piece by piece. "Perfection, pure perfection," he muttered and dropped to his knees in front of me.


    Bane ced his hand on my hips and gripped them before he pulled me a little closer to him. Then he tilted his head and pressed his lips to my lower belly, tracing gentle kisses all over it as he muttered, "the body of Goddess should be worshiped."


    My heart skipped a beat as I looked down and our eyes instantly met, as if he was waiting for the moment I would try to look at him. The intensity behind his gaze was so overwhelming, I forgot how to breathe for a second.


    I barely noticed the smirk spreading on his lips before Bane pushed me a little and I fell back on the bed. His hands traced down to my knees and then back up to my thighs. Slowly, he let his hands roam over my legs until they stopped and he grabbed both.


    Slowly, Bane spread my legs, making me squirm under his gaze and attempt to push them back together.


    A dark chuckle left him as his eyes, once again, met mine. "Sweetheart, don''t," he muttered.


    My cheeks started burning so badly, I thought that my skin would start peeling off any moment.


    Just to add more to the embarrassment, Bane licked his lips and smirked. "Besides, you''re still wearing your panties, so this shouldn''t be that bad. Or is it? If you don''t force me to stop now, I doubt I will be able to stop if we get any further from here."


    With eyes as wide as ever, I shook my head. I knew I wanted this, I wanted him, I just didn''t know what to do, how to move or react.


    "Don''t worry about those things, I will take care of you." His voice was raspy and deep, breathing heavy, but all that aside, Bane still managed to read me and voice every doubt I had. "Are you okay with this or do you want to stop?" He asked again.


    Swallowing the massive lump in my throat, I finally managed to whisper a weak, "yes."


    That was all Bane needed to sh me the most heartbreaking smile and focus on what he intended to do. As my hands found the sheets and clutched them, Bane lowered himself between my legs.


    I felt his hands slide further up my legs until they reached the sides of my panties. He used one hand to hold my leg to the side while the other gently ran over the bit of the fabric that was covering me.


    Then he hooked his finger under the fabric and pulled my panties aside. I was about to ask what he was nning and why wouldn''t he just pull them down until but then, I heard the sound of the fabric tearing and the slight burn on my skin until my panties snappedpletely.


    My eyes widened as I tried to look at him, but all Bane did was nce at me and wink before he forced his mouth on me.


    If ever before this I had an ability to think or find the words to describe my thoughts, all of it went out of the window the moment his mouthtched on me.


    Bane licked, kissed and sucked on me. With every stroke of his tongue over my clit, waves of electric pleasure ran through me, so strong they nearly paralyzed every sense I had.


    As soon as Bane got too carried away, he started growling and each vibration of the sounds that left his lips did nothing but push me closer to the invisible edge that I had an insane urge to jump off.


    I hadn''t realized I was moaning and screaming his name until Bane stopped his attack on my pussy and grinned at me, "that''s right, you''re being such a good girl for me, let them all know whom you belong to. Let them all know who is making you feel this fucking good."


    What came over me at that moment... I had no idea. But, even that bit of confusion didn''t hold me back from blindly joining his game and grinning. "I might as well if you keep doing the great job and actually finish it. Want me to scream even louder? Just in case someone didn''t hear me yet."


    The smile that spread across his lips was indescribable. "I fucking love you," Bane growled and lowered himself between my legs again.


    As his tongue kept running over my clit, I got closer to the same edge I nearly reached earlier. My hands held onto the sheets as if my life depended on the gip I had on them as my chest rose and fell with the frantic breaths I was taking. "I''m so close," I screamed out, half warning him, half moaning.


    My legs started shaking as I pushed them together and locked Bane in ce. Just as the sensation started spreading through me, so powerful, it could bring anyone to their knees, Bane slid a finger inside me and I exploded.


    The orgasm hit me in powerful waves, surging through my body and reaching every nerve ending, locking up every muscle and overtaking me so wholly, my eyes rolled into the back of my head.


    I didn''t feel how Bane pulled his finger out of me or how he got away from me, I realized he wasying next to me only when I finally came down from my high and regained my breathing.


    As if waiting for me, Bane just looked at me with a sly grin.


    "What?" I raised an eyebrow. "I wasn''t loud enough?" I added just to tease him.


    My words made himugh. The more I listened to the sound, the more I feared that there woulde a day I wouldn''t be able to imagine a moment without hearing his melodicughter.


    But then, to my utter surprise, Bane raised a finger. It glistened in the slight moonlight that was peeking through the curtains as if it was covered in something. It took me a few seconds to realize what he was showing me and before I could say anything, Bane brought it to his lips.


    With wide eyes, I watched him slide the finger inside his mouth and trace his tongue over it until he sucked all of it off. "Just what I thought, your release tastes way better than your arousal. Now, how about we check the theory I have about mixing yours with mine, huh?"

 109: Magic.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The look on her face was priceless. Aife probably didn''t have any idea how often her eyes widened when she was experiencing something new, but I really loved seeing the surprise every time. And now, after the offer I made, she looked both surprised and confused at the same time. Maybe she didn''t realize we were only half-way done, but soon, she would understand what I meant. "Ready?" I whispered and pecked the corner of her mouth.


    Once again, her eyes widened. "Ready for what?"


    I couldn''t hold in the chuckle of amusement. Slowly, I raised my body and climbed on top of her, supporting my weight on my arms. "For the next step?" I whispered.


    Aife had gotten the warning previously. I gave her more than plenty of those, I gave her many chances to back out if she wasn''t fully sure, but now, after I had gotten a taste of her, I wasn''t sure I could stop even if I tried.


    The woman under me was a Goddess in all senses. She was more than I deserved, way more than I hoped for, and there was a massive chance that this might be all we get.


    If I could forget everything, ignore the danger and focus on what we were sharing now, if only for a night, I could die a happy man.


    "Promise to be gentle?" Her voice brought me out of my thoughts.


    "I promise to be gentle. I promise to take care of you. I promise to make sure you feel little to no pain and enjoy every little moment we share in this bed." I tried my best to sound gentle, not impatient.


    The truth was - I really was impatient. I couldn''t wait to get to the point where I could get my hands all over her, the point when I could hear her angelic voice scream my name at the top of her lungs. For one night, just one, I wanted to be the center of her universe.


    "Okay," she breathed out. "I''m ready. Tell me what to do."


    The corner of my mouth twitched as I leaned down to quickly peck her lips. "You don''t have to do anything, I will take care of you, remember?"


    This time, she just nodded her head.


    Slowly, I positioned myself between her legs and pressed my erection against her. The moment our skin touched, a loud groan left me and Aife gasped.


    "When did you get undressed?" She muttered the question in pure amazement.


    Another chuckle let me. There was no way I was about to admit to her that I pulled my clothes off like some creep while I was eating her out, too impatient to remain clothed. Instead, I gave her little to no information and whispered, "magic." Thankfully, she didn''t question me anymore so the supposedly intimate moment didn''t turn into a fit ofughter for both of us.


    As Aife wrapped her arms around my neck, I started slowly thrusting my hips, grinding against her, coating my erection in the juices of her release.


    Her lips found mine before mine could assault hers. As her lips moved against mine, I realized that it was her who kissed me with desperation I felt, not the other way around.


    If this kiss was anything to go by, she wanted, no, needed me just as much as I needed her.


    When we finally broke apart and she panted for breath, I slowly traced gentle kisses over her jawline, then down to her neck and over her corbone until I reached her breast. The moment I sucked her nipple inside my mouth and gently bit on it, a yelp left her.


    If it wouldn''t be for her nails, digging in the skin of my back and pulling me incredibly close, I would assume she wanted me to stop.


    Even Aife started moving her hips in a way to meet my thrusts, growing just as impatient as me. When I released her nipple, I grinned and slowly kissed my way to her other breast, repeating the process.


    "I''m ready," she gasped, pushing her hips upward with all her might.


    As much as I wished I would have something to say, even fucking poetry would do just to describe everything she made me feel, no words left me. All I could focus on was her and this moment. The gift she was handing me and the trust she was putting in me.


    "Rx," I managed to force the word through gritted teeth as I positioned the tip of my erection against her entrance.


    All that grinding paid off. My cock was coated in her juices so I wasn''t too worried about unneeded, painful friction. "Ready?" I whispered, ncing in her eyes.


    Aife nodded and mouthed, "ready," with a smile across her lips.


    Slowly, I started pushing myself inside her. Bit by bit, looking down between our bodies and then back at her to ensure she wasn''t in too much pain.


    Although I was doing my best, trying to be as gentle as I could, I didn''t get halfway in when she was starting to try to get away from me and weak whimpers left her lips.


    "Does it hurt?" I breathed out, barely holding back from the insane need to thrust inside her. The only thoughts that ruled my mind were how much I wanted to m inside her, how much I wanted to dominate this woman and how desperate I was to brand her as mine.


    If I wasn''t allowed to leave my mark, at least I could give her an experience of a lifetime. An experience that would be burned so deep in her memory that every time she would think of any man or getting intimate with anyone, all she could think of would be me.


    I was desperate to ensure no one could ever take my ce. No one could make her feel the way I could. I had to be branded in her mind, body and spirit as the only man who could ever be it for her.


    Even despite the fact that I knew it was impossible, we would neverst, I still wanted all of it.


    That was my selfish nature, my need to have all of her to myself even though I knew I couldn''t keep her. Aife would stay at my side for as long as it was safe for her, no longer than that.


    "Yes," she finally breathed out the answer, breaking me out of the thoughts. Before I coulde up with a solution, she presented me with one. "Maybe try to do it in one go? I''ve heard it hurts, yes, butter, it''s easier to get used to it than bit by bit. Just because I don''t have personal experience doesn''t mean I haven''t heard anything about how this works."


    "Brace yourself. If it gets really bad, scratch or bite me, okay?" I muttered and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.


    I didn''t wait for an answer. Instead, I just forced my hips forward and mmed balls-deep inside her in one, swift move.


    Her scream of pain echoed against the walls so loud, even the guards outside could hear it.


    Soon after, amotion followed outside and someone entered the cabin. Before they could get to the bedroom, I growled to keep them away. "Everything''s fine, mind your own goddamn business," I shouted at the intruder. "Sorry, Alpha, we heard Luna scream. It sounded like she''s in pain," the guard muttered right next to the bedroom door.


    All I needed was to get him away, out of the cabin, but I had no idea what to say to exin this. Should I even exin?


    Although in pain, Aife took the upper hand and answered for me, "pain happens when a woman loses her virginity. Is that enough information for you or do you guys want to enter and see your Alpha on top of me just to ensure I''m safe?" "Sorry, Luna," the guard muttered and left the cabin.


    As I turned my head to look at her, I couldn''t help but smile at the look of amusement and annoyance on her face. "Have I told you that I fucking love you?" I asked, grinning like a maniac myself.


    Aifeughed and slid hand to my face to cup my cheek. "I believe you have. Now, start moving, I think I''m ready."

 110: Impossible. I don’t have a mate.

    **Aife


    pov**


    As thest words left me, Bane grinned, pecked my lips and slowly withdrew from me just to slide back inside a momentter.


    The sensations that traveled through my body were new, somewhat new, but I weed them all. Like surges of electric pleasure that consumed me.


    With every thrust, Bane muttered sweet nothings to me,plimenting me and stressing how important I was to him. Somehow, he angled himself in a way that every time he entered me, he hit the sweet spot over and over again. "May I move faster, love?" Bane muttered, tracing his lips over my jaw just as he hit the spot inside me again, making me hiss in pleasure.


    "Harder, faster, whatever you want, just don''t stop," I moaned out as my eyes started rolling back in my head.


    Why I hadn''t tried to have sex with anyone before Bane was beyond me. Why I feared it was hard to exin. Sure, the first moments weren''t quite enjoyable but as soon as my body grew used to the intrusion, all that followed was bliss. Nothing but pleasure.


    "Hold on, baby,¡± Bane growled and raised himself a little off me to grab both of my wrists in his hand. He pinned my hands above my head and grinned again. "Enjoy the ride."


    At first, I thought he was teasing me, but when his hips came in contact with me, I realized his words were nothing but a warning.


    Even in the darkness of the room, I could see sweat bead on his forehead as Bane hammered inside me.


    At one point, I was so overwhelmed by the sensations, by the way his hand cupped my breast while the other held me pinned to the bed and the way his lips seemed to brand me over and over again, I didn''t realize I was screaming his name at the top of my lungs until a deep, amused chuckle left him.


    The sound echoed against the walls of the small bedroom before he voiced his thoughts. "That''s right, sweetheart, let them all know who is making you feel so good you have to scream. Let them all know who you belong to."


    Maybe it would be smarter to ignore his words, but instead, I took them as encouragement and screamed every time he thrust inside me.


    I lost any ability to follow time as Bane mmed inside me, changed positions and tossed me around the bed as if I didn''t weigh anything.


    Although I had thought my first time would be more sensual and slow, I enjoyed the disy of his strength more than I was willing to admit.


    I absolutely loved how easily he tossed me around and how much he seemed to enjoy dominating me.


    Sensations aside, the only thing that truly worried me was how much I was enjoying everything he did. Deep down, I feared that after Bane, I couldn''t look at any man.


    There was no saying how the rtionship between us would work out, maybe that was my biggest fear. Every time his hands touched me, I felt like I was falling a little deeper into the abyss of addiction.


    Before the thoughts could consume me, the odd sensation in my lower belly started burning again. Yet again, I was getting closer to the cliff. I was dying to jump off and fall into the overwhelming euphoric bliss. Somehow, I managed to find his gaze and hiss, "I''m so close."


    The smile that spread across his lips nearly threw me off that edge. "Just a little longer, hold on, sweetheart, we''lle together," Bane muttered and started showering my face in quick kisses, mming inside me twice as hard and fast.


    When he finally released my wrists, I threw my arms around him and dug my nails in his back just in time with him letting out the loudest growl I had ever heard.


    Then, my scream followed and my body started shaking, nearly to the point of convulsions, as waves of pleasure traveled through my body, one after another.


    My eyes rolled into the back of my head and my heart nearly stopped.


    When I finally came back to my senses, I found myself being pressed against his burning-hot body, Bane''s arms wrapped around me so tightly, it felt like he was scared I could disappear if he loosened his hold even a little bit. "That was amazing," I breathed out, unable to find better words to describe the experience I just had.


    "Did I hurt you?" Was all Bane asked.


    I frowned and tried to look up at him, but his hold was so tight, I couldn''t move in his arms. "No," I answered as soon as I stopped trying to catch a glimpse of him.


    "Good," Bane muttered and kissed the top of my head. "I got a little too carried away and didn''t even think about the fact that it''s your first time. I''m sorry. I should have made this more special for you."


    A sudden wave of sadness washed over me. Bane sounded so darn sad and although I knew he didn''t feel regret for what we shared, I still couldn''t stop myself from assuming it had something to do with the change in his mood. "Don''t," Bane growled, making me flinch. "Shit, sorry, that came out worse than I intended," he quickly added in a whisper and pulled his arms away from me.


    As Iy on the bed,pletely lost to what was happening, Bane rolled to his side and slowly brought his hand to my face to cup my cheek. He sucked in a deep breath and slowly exhaled before he spoke up again.


    "I didn''t mean to scare you, sweetheart. It was an instinct, not that it makes it any better or excuses the tone I used. I''ll try my best to exin, okay?"


    Unable to use my voice, I just nodded and waited.


    Bane leaned closer to press his lips to my forehead. He didn''t move for a few seconds, making me grow a little nervous, but as soon as he pulled away, he didn''t waste a second to exin himself.


    "I said ''don''t'' because I know you. You started overthinking and that''s thest thing you should do now. While I have no idea what triggered the reaction, I know for a fact that you tried to me yourself for something. Don''t do that. Just


    now, we shared somethingpletely magical. Once again, I''m left speechless because somehow, even in bed, you fit with me perfectly. I don''t know how to exin this, but in every aspect of life, you fit perfectly. Almost as if you were meant for me. If I were a fool and let myself believe in things that weren''t true, I would assume you are my mate."


    I had no idea where from the courage came, but once the words let him, my eyes shot to Bane and I muttered, "but what if I am? What if we are? I don''t have my wolf yet so I don''t know, but maybe yours can feel it."


    The hope that burned in my chest spread through my body, but as bright as it appeared to be, it went out far too soon.


    "Impossible. I don''t have a mate. No one from my bloodline has had one. The Goddess knows how to hold grudges." Thest words were barely audible, but I still caught on them. "Do you want to take a shower now or can we sleep? I''m beat," Bane quickly changed the topic.


    I had too many questions, but I kept them all to myself. Sooner orter, I will find a way to talk to his pack members or Zion and ask what Bane meant with the grudge the Goddess was holding against him.


    "Let''s sleep," I muttered and grabbed his wrist to pull his hand over me. One day, if I ever had to leave Bane''s side, I would be in deep trouble. Sleeping without his arms around me already felt like a punishment.

 111: My weakness.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I woke up like a brand new person. All the tension had left my body and the anger that used to fuel me during the days disappeared too.


    Truthfully, I was sure sex was a massive reason for the sudden change, but what I believed took the cake was yet another morning with her in my arms.


    Unlike other times, this morning, Aife slept naked, draped all over me as if she wanted to serve as my personal nket. Her scent and the scent of our arousal filled the room, enveloping us both in the magical moments we shared just hours ago.


    Slowly, I slid out of the bed and pulled the covers over her body. While I wished I couldy with her and pretend everything was okay, I knew I had other things to focus on first. And honestly, although it felt like I was doing something illegal, it was better if I kept some secrets from her. At least for now.


    Thest thing I wanted was to worry her, especially when she looked this peaceful and happy.


    I got dressed as fast as I could, avoiding ncing at her to fight the urge to give into the temptation and get back in bed. Once I was done, I slipped outside the bedroom and left the cabin.


    As soon as I stepped outside, my men started hollering and pping their hands like a bunch of teenage boys. "Alpha, you''re the man," one of them shouted, making meugh.


    "Go get it, tiger," another guy added, earning collective praise and moreughter from others.


    I let them have their moment. Honestly, I didn''t remember thest time I woke up in a mood even rtively close as good as today, so I felt like I could tolerate everything they tossed my way.


    And best of all, while my men acted likeplete dicks, none of them tried to bring up Aife. Their remarks were aimed at me, not their Luna.


    Maybe it was that they knew that I wouldn''t take it kindly. Or perhaps, they finally had respect for the woman who had won my heart. Whichever it was, I was happy she was epted and respected by the bunch of savages. Once themotion died down, I cleared my throat to gain everyone''s attention. "Can we talk?"


    My men exchanged worried nces, but all of them nodded.


    "The letters. Do any of you have any idea where the letters came from?"


    As my eyes scanned their faces, I couldn''t find any reason to doubt any of them. All of the guards looked genuinely confused. Usually, the one to me would look out of ce, but I couldn''t point out any suspicious behavior anywhere. "Did any of you see anything out of the ordinary around the cabin yesterday? Any clue will do. Come on, guys, think carefully, this is very damn important." I groaned as I started pacing in front of them.


    The only thing I really wanted was to get at least one clue. Just one to find out who wanted to hurt my Aife and why they were following her everywhere.


    Another thing that really worried me was that there was a possibility that someone had ced a target on her back because of me. Plenty of people hated me, so they could try to use the one weakness I had against me.


    Great, now I was admitting to myself that she was my weakness, which meant that everyone around me had already noticed that. I was too stubborn and slow to notice things about myself before others did. "Alpha?" Adam raised his voice, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    My head snapped in their direction and eyes found him in the crowd. He looked a little uneasy as I red at him. "Bill said something you might want to hear," Adam muttered, switching his weight from one leg to another nervously. Now, my eyes focused on the shortest of the bunch being pushed closer to me. Slowly, I turned my body to face him directly and nodded, giving him the permission to speak.


    Bill''s eyes darted everywhere but at me as he cleared his throat and tried to speak, but no words escaped him.


    Growing a little annoyed, I growled. "Please, for the love of Goddess, look at me when you speak. If you avoid eye contact, it makes you look like a liar. I won''t punish you for disclosing something I asked for."


    Once his gaze met mine, I instantly noticed the fear in his eyes. Slowly, I ced my hand on my forehead and then dragged it down my face, taking a few calming breaths. "No need to fear me, Bill. You are among the men here because I trust you, I know you''re loyal to me and the pack. Seriously, calm down and tell me what you know."


    My words worked like magic on him. All tension left Bill as he sighed and chuckled, "thank fuck, you''re so tense, I thought you''re about to rip me in shreds."


    His admission made me grin as I stepped closer and pped my hand on his shoulder. "Never."


    "Okay, that makes me feel a little better," Bill breathed out and nced around, as if he was seeking some support for his fellow pack members.


    Although he wasn''t half as tense as he was earlier, I could still sense the difort and unease he felt, so I squeezed his shoulder a little and leaned closer to whisper, "I trust you men with my life, that means I trust you just as much as I trust those guys. If you saw anything, let me know, that''s all I''m asking."


    Bill looked up at me, his eyes searching for something in mine. The staring conteststed maybe a few seconds until he sighed and nodded.


    "I don''t know anything about multiple letters and I know this sounds crazy, but yesterday, after you left the cabin to go to the car and get Luna, I saw something odd. Shit, even thinking about this thing gives me the creeps. It''s so hard to exin, Alpha. Please, don''t think I''m crazy." Thest words were a barely audible plea, but I got where he wasing from.


    If whatever he saw was out of ordinary in a supernatural sense, I could understand why he was being so darn sketchy. We, ourselves, were werewolves, but that fact alone didn''t make us doubt ourselves if we saw or experienced something


    new.


    "I don''t think that you''re crazy. As mad as your observations might sound, I will take them seriously. I promise. Bill, any piece of information will help. Anything you say could save Luna''s life."


    My words hit the target. Bill''s eyes widened and jaw dropped as if only now he realized how bloody serious this situation was bing.


    "As I said," he started and swallowed. "When you left the cabin yesterday and walked towards the car, I saw a shadow. No person, no actual body, just a shadow. It entered the cabin and when I was seriously considering if I had lost my mind for good, I decided to walk there and check it out. You stood by the car and seriously, I know this sounds as crazy as it gets, but as soon as I took a step closer, the shadow left the cabin and vanished into thin air. Just like that. It was there and then it wasn''t. Told you, crazy."

 112: You need her. We need her.

    **Bane pov**


    Bane pov


    While my men exchanged worried nces and Bill waited for me to speak, I realized how serious the situation really was.


    In all my years, I had never had a run-in with the Foogers, but it seemed like finally, I had caught the attention of the high Council after all. "Shit," I hissed under my breath, unable to hide the frustration I felt.


    "What?" Bill choked out, growing visibly worried.


    "That shadow you saw wasn''t a shadow. It was one of the Council Foggers. You know, the rumored entities, tied to living by illegal rituals?" I pinched the bridge of my nose and focused on my breathing. Thest thing I needed was to blow up in front of my men.


    "Isn''t that illegal, Alpha? The Council themselves deemed those demons too dangerous to be kept among us, so why would any of them appear all of a sudden?" Adam asked.


    I shook my head as disbelief, still stuck in my own mind, wondering why they would release one of those fuckers on me. Even more, why would the Council threaten Aife?


    "Those creatures are as illegal as they get. But don''t forget that those old fucks had a couple of them each way before they passed the neww. Thatw, by the way, didn''t ban the Foggers for good. What it did was ensure no one was allowed to pull the creatures from hell anymore. It never said the existing ones had to be released or banished. Besides, the only way for a Fogger to return to where it came from is to wait for the Council member to die. It''s not the ritual that holds them trapped here, it''s the living soul."


    As I exined the details I knew, I felt like a new weight was added to my shoulders and it kept pushing me down, nearly forcing my body into the ground.


    "But why would they send one of them here then?" Adam asked another brilliant question.


    A loud, annoyed groan left me. "I don''t know. Up until now, I had no idea how the letter appeared in the cabin, let alone who left it. Honestly, for now, I can hope this is just an option, not reality. I assume it''s a Fogger because nothing I know of really exins what Bill described."


    A wave of silent tension washed over us. It enveloped my men and me as they kept exchanging worried nces while I tried toe up with logical exnations to what was happening.


    It couldn''t be that the Goddess truly had nned such a vicious thing for me, could it? She took every chance at happiness I had long before I was born, and now, she was pulling her strings everywhere she could just because, for once, I felt happy?


    Even the idea about Aife, staying at my side, was slipping through my fingers. Why, just why couldn''t everyone leave me be and let me enjoy the joy and happiness I had never dreamt of experiencing? Then, I was hit with another through. Would setting her free rid me of this mess? I was ready and willing to fight for her, to give up my life for her, but what would that mean for Aife?


    Step by step, she was truly consuming my life, but in return, I pulled her deeper down into the abyss of my misery. Thest thing I wanted was to watch her suffer for the crimes she hadn''tmitted. Shaking my head, I forced myself out of my thoughts and nced at the bunch of men surrounding me. A massive lump grew and spread in my throat as I tried to find the right words to describe my thoughts. "Alpha, no," Adam gasped. My eyes focused on him, instantly catching the horror in his. He shook his head and tried to step closer. "You can''t do that. That''s not right. Ever. She would never forgive you."


    The chuckle that left me was low and bitter. "You don''t know what I''m nning to do, Adam."


    All eyes were on him as Adam took another step closer to me. "I know. I can see it in your eyes. We all can. No matter what it is, we will stay at your side. We will die to see our Alpha happy. And she makes you happy. Ask anyone, literally anyone around the pack, even the reject women, all of them will tell you that they have never seen you as happy as that woman makes you. The woman who broke you never brought a smile to your face, definitely not as bright as Luna does. You need her. We need her."


    Each word was aimed at my heart. Instinctively, I brought my hand to the center of my chest and rubbed it as a tight, heavy feeling appeared there.


    Just thinking about not having a chance to wake up next to Aife hurt, let alone never seeing her again.


    If I did anything stupid, I would hurt her too. Like the asshole I was. Just thinking about taking her virginity and basically kicking her out right after, discarding her like a receable piece of crap, even though she was irreceable, made me feel like shit. "We need her," Adam repeated.


    Seeing the desperation in his gaze, I tried to think about the choices I had. If, just if, I sent her away, I would hurt her beyond the limits of anyone''s imagination. But if I remained the stance of a selfish asshole, someone might hurt her even


    worse.


    Whatever the reason the Council had to sent those creatures here and threaten me, it was clear they didn''t want Aife at my side. They didn''t approve of this rtionship.


    I could let her go to her parents since I knew where they were now, but how could I be sure Aife wasn''t a pawn in the Council''s game?


    One thing was clear - she couldn''t be just a random Alpha''s daughter, and promised to marry another Alpha. There had to be more to her if the Council was getting involved like this.


    I wondered if Aife knew anything about it. Did she have any idea if she possibly had a hidden power or perhaps an old, unstained bloodline?


    If she wasing from pure blood, it would make sense why the Council went after her, but in that case, they could easily go after her father too. In fact, her father would be enough for those old fucks and Killian wouldn''t fight them every step of the way as I would for Aife.


    This didn''t make sense at all.


    "Alpha?" Adam stood in front of me and ced his hand on my shoulder to get my attention. "What are you nning to do now?"


    My eyes scanned the surroundings and when I spoke, I didn''t address my men. I addressed whoever was surely hiding in the shadows, watching every move we made. "I''m nning to find out if one of those fog fuckers are on my ass. Then,


    I''m nning to reach out to the Lycan King and hopefully, get a chance to kill the fucker who owns the fog bastard myself. After that, we''re going back to our pretty, boring old life."


    My words were loud enough to fulfill the initial goal. They reached the creature. A slight smile tugged on my lips as I heard a rustling of leaves and twigs for a moment and then, it disappeared.


    Now, I had dug my own grave, that much was sure. The fucker would surely deliver the information to the Council and neither of them would stop until they got my head.


    I had always wanted to sign my own death sentence, it seemed that happened sooner than I had nned. But that was life, it worked in mysterious ways and mine just happened to be fucked in all senses. *"Guillotine, here Ie."*

 113: I need to leave.

    **Aife


    pov**


    The next morning, I woke up alone. Although Bane''s absence didn''t surprise me, I did feel a little off. Maybe it was my childish desire to be held by the man to whom I had given an important part of myself, or maybe that was a little selfish of


    me.


    Whatever the reason was, I couldn''t lie and im it wasn''t weird. One would think it would be the right thing to stay in bed after an experience as such. Perhaps just to avoid the possibility of me, thinking that he had used me. Slowly sitting up in bed, I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts that shouldn''t gue me.


    Tossing my legs over the edge of the bed, I let out a low hiss. Was I supposed to be in pain?


    Although the pain wasn''t serious enough for me to scream, it was there. Maybe calling the feeling sore and tingling would be better...


    As I slowly got dressed, I let my eyes take in the room. The sheets of the bed were covered in blood spots, so I tried to ignore the view. Other than that, the room looked like any other, boring room.


    The only thing that got to me was how ufortable I felt when I started walking around. As soon as I stood in front of the bedroom door and flung it open, I caught on the scent of bacon and eggs.


    Ignoring the ufortable throbbing between my legs, I limped to the kitchen area to find shirtless Bane, standing in front of the stove, focused on whatever he was cooking and humming a melody under his breath. "Morning," I called out to him, unsure of how he could react. Goddess knew what kind of mood he could be in at this moment, so all I could do was hope he wouldn''t fly off the handle.


    Bane quickly dropped what he was holding and spun around to face me. First, he shed me the brightest, widest smile ever, but soon, his facial expression morphed to that of great concern. "You don''t look good," he muttered.


    A chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. "Good morning, Aife. How did you sleep? Would you like some coffee or tea?" I whispered as I stared straight into his eyes.


    Bane blushed. He actually blushed as he brought his hand to the back of his neck and scratched it. His eyes darted everywhere but at me as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, my apologies, I didn''t mean it toe across as rude or anything. I suppose we can talk about your lookster then."


    His eyes finally met mine and he tried to smile again, but this time, the smile didn''t reach his eyes. "Good morning, sweetheart. Would you like coffee or tea? I''m cooking breakfast; should be ready in a couple minutes."


    A wide grin spread across my lips. "I would love some coffee, thank you."


    For a brief moment, my words echoed against the walls, but soon enough, Bane mirrored my grin and stepped closer to me.


    Once he stood in front of me, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a quick, yet extremely loving kiss. "Now, this is what I call a good morning," he whispered against my lips.


    An unknown sense of happiness surged through me as he scooped me in his arms and carried me to the table in the kitchen. Then, he carefully sat me down and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I saw how ufortable you are today, thought I could help out a little."


    Now it was my turn to blush bright red. Bane could be the most attentive and caring man walking this if only he wanted to be.


    "It''s not that bad," I tried to ease his mind, but obviously, my words didn''t do much. Or at least didn''t earn me anything more than the re he sent my way.


    Honestly, I really didn''t want to test this side of Bane. I knew how explosive he could be in a bad mood, but there was no saying how he would react if I pushed his buttons while his mood was way better.


    Instead of getting on his nerves, I sat in silence and watched how the big bad beast danced around the kitchen as he made me a cup of coffee.


    A part of me wondered why he never showed anyone this side of him. Bane was a hard to read man, but he had plenty of amazing qualities to him. Sadly, he wasn''t too keen to show the world those.


    A sudden wave of jealousy washed over me. Had he treated other women well? Who was I kidding, of course he had... But... It was just that our beginning was so awful it was hard to believe that our story evolved into something that reminded a fairytale all of a sudden...


    Surely, there were many before me, that much was clear, but had all of them gone through the same torment I did just to see him in a different lightter on? Or was I the only one who had to suffer before a sense of happiness finally washed over her?


    Shaking my head, I tried to get rid of the thoughts and doubts. This was our moment, not another chance to overthink everything that was happening.


    What helped me get out of the gloomy thoughts was the cup of coffee Bane set in front of me. Then, he ced a te piled with scrambled eggs and bacon next to it.


    My gaze shot up to him just to see the smuggest grin ever as he raised an eyebrow at me, almost challenging me to announce I wasn''t hungry.


    "Thank you, this looks amazing," I announced as I reached for the fork.


    Bane grabbed my hand to stop me. I couldn''t help but frown at the sudden obstacle, but all that grinning butt did was point at his lips and mutter, "how about thanking the chef before the meal?"


    "I thought you would thank the chef after you get to eat the food. You know, just to ensure there is something to thank him for," I teased.


    A loud groan left him as Bane bent down and forced his lips on mine. Again, the kiss was quick, but so full of emotions, he left me light headed. "Enjoy your breakfast," Bane whispered against my lips, straightened his body and left me at the table as if nothing had happened.


    My jaw nearly hit the floor as I watched him fill his own te and join me. "You should eat while it''s still warm. Meals don''t taste half as good when they get cold," he announced as he pointed his fork at my te.


    From there, I just decided to eat and enjoy the silence for once. While at the start, silence around Bane was awful, these days, it''s so nice, it''s almostforting.


    Half-way through the meal, I noticed Bane ncing my way. He didn''t look like he wanted my feedback, it was something more... Something he didn''t want to bring up...


    Every time I looked at him when I felt his eyes on me, Bane looked away. He seemed tense, ufortable in his own skin, but I couldn''t pin-point why. Was this the moment when he admitted that he made a mistake and wanted me out of his life?


    Biting my tongue, I held back from asking questions for another ten minutes, until it was too much for me. Groaning, I dropped the fork and red at him, "what is it? Don''t lie to me, Bane. What is it?"


    Slowly, Bane set down his fork and reached over the table to grab my hand. "You probably won''t like it, I''m not a fan of the fact too, but I need to leave for a bit."


    Raising my eyebrow I sucked in a breath. "How long is a bit?"


    Bane averted his gaze. "A month or two."

 114: Start trying?

    **Aife pov** Although I asked tons of questions, Bane wasn''t willing to exin himself any further. He just announced that he had to leave and that was final.


    He could have told me why he was leaving, but even that remained a secret. So much for being open and ensuringmunication existed, right? After breakfast, Bane kissed my temple and washed the dishes. The whole time I sat at the table, waiting for him to tell me literally anything he kept quiet. Well, at least until he told me to start packing and get ready to go home. "I can''t start packing if I didn''t unpack anything to begin with," I spat back, a little more aggressively than I intended.


    I could see the hurt sh in his eyes, but too soon, it was reced with a look of understanding. "I know I promised you a nice getaway at this cabin, but the circumstances have changed. I''m truly sorry, but it is what it is for now. Once Ie back, I promise to make it up to you, but I''ll make it all ten times better. And then, I won''t take any guards so we can have proper privacy. How does that sound?"


    Honestly, it sounded amazing and very, very tempting. The only issue was that I didn''t know if he could hold the promise he was giving now. I never knew how things would turn out with Bane and any ns we had ever made together, somehow they were ruined by one thing or another.


    Sighing, I slowly got up from my seat and started walking towards the front door.


    "Where are you going, sweetheart?" Bane called after me.


    "To the car. I will sit there and wait for you to take me back to my cell, whoops, I mean the house," I snarled and forced myself to move a little faster.


    The burning between my legs became more intense and the closer I got to the cabin door, the more I regretted this little ce being the exact location where I had my first time.


    I didn''t regret giving it to Bane. Not even a tiny bit. I regretted the location because I knew Bane''s men were behind the cabin door and they surely would give me weird, knowing looks.


    Just as the thought crossed my mind, Bane appeared next to me and tried to scoop me in his arms, but I shoved him away. "No. Your men will have a greatugh if they think I can''t walk around after the night."


    His eyes widened. "No," Bane shook his head. "They wouldn''t say anything. Trust me on this one. They already gave me shit earlier, but not even one of them mentioned you, so you shouldn''t worry about it. Seriously, they wouldn''t. Just let me take care of you," he pleaded.


    I stood at the door, contemting if I should give in or stand up for myself. Sooner orter, I would have to learn how to defy Bane and what better time to start if now when he was in a good mood?


    Shaking my head, I offered him a smile but still stepped back, increasing the distance between us. "Not this time. Honestly, no matter what they think, I want to walk to that car with my head held high and no questions asked. Let me have this."


    Bane didn''t look too pleased. He answered with one, sharp nod and spun on his heel to walk to the bedroom while muttering something under his breath.


    Gripping the handle, I took a deep breath and opened the door.


    Just as I predicted, all Bane''s men stood at the entrance, basically surrounding the little cabin. What surprised me, though, was that they bowed their heads and greeted me. No remarks, no whispering, no odd looks. Nothing. Just pure respect.


    Like I had told Bane earlier, I walked to the car with my head held high, fighting my own body not to show the men how ufortable I felt. Every man I greeted offered me the goofiest grin, but in a way, I enjoyed them. Maybe it was because I felt like I belonged, or perhaps I just liked the fact that they no longer tried to do anything to make me feel less than I was.


    Thankfully, I didn''t have to wait long until Bane got in the car and drove away from the hidden paradise. During the drive back he didn''t speak, which honestly annoyed me.


    I wasn''t the one who made this thing between us feelplicated, but he was acting as if it was me who hurt him, not the other way around. And yes, I was hurt... in a way.


    Perhaps that was foolish of me, but how was I supposed to react? Did everyone think I would jump up and p my hands now that he had taken my virginity and instantly had to leave me behind? Yes, I gave it willingly, but the fact that Bane had to leave Goddess knew where and why truly felt unusual.


    If I was overthinking, which was a massive possibility, I knew I would get my answers very soon. If not from Bane, Zion would definitely spill it all. But if any of my suspicions were even remotely close to the truth Bane was hiding, well, I would end up broken-hearted and lost.


    Funny how this man had brought so much pain and suffering to me, but somehow, ended up to be the very man who my happiness depended on.


    At one point, I didn''t realize I had zoned out, until Bane grabbed my shoulder and shook me a little. "Sweetheart, we''re home. Do you want to walk inside or may I carry you?"


    The look in his eyes reminded me of a small puppy who was begging for another treat, so I gave in.


    "You can carry me if it means so much to you," I muttered, trying my best to sound as emotionless as possible.


    And that too didn''tst for too long since Bane instantly shed me a bright smile, quickly pecked my cheek and jumped out of the car like an excited teenager. He all but ran around the car and even cheered when he opened the door just when I was unbuckling the safety belt.


    Bane pulled me out of the car and scooped me in his arms before I could blink. He kicked the car door closed and carried me to the house, giggling as he did.


    All this over the top behavior was new and unusual, but in a way, I enjoyed it. Mostly because I didn''t know how soon Bane had to leave and when he could carry me around like this again. And IF he would.


    Bane didn''t say anything as he carried me up the stairs and into our bedroom. As soon as heid me on the bed, he muttered that I should rest and he would have to get ready.


    My eyes widened at the quiet statement. "What? So soon?"


    I knew I was pouting and acting like a brat, but I really didn''t want him to leave right now. He could give me an hour or two, couldn''t he?


    "Yes, so soon," Bane offered me a smile. He leaned down to kiss me, sadly not nearly for as long as I wished he would. Once he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I won''t be able to leave if I don''t do that as soon as possible. But I promise toe back soon. Trust me, I will do my best to get back before you start missing me. And once Ie back, we will start trying."


    A little confused, I repeated his words, "start trying?"


    Bane grabbed the sides of my face and titled my head. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked straight into his when he whispered, "yes. We will start trying for a pup. I want a family. A real one. With you. You''re it for me, babe, you''re it."

 115: Has to be rabies.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I woke up to Zion, jumping on the bed. I hadn''t realized that I fell asleep until the unhinged maniac decided I had enough rest already and he had to take me on a new adventure.


    Pulling the pillow over my head, I groaned and tried to hide from him. "Leave me alone, Zion. I''m not in the mood to y your games and I really want to get some more rest. Is an hour really too much to ask for? Please, let me be." Zion pulled the nket off me and let out something that sounded like a war cry. As soon as the sound left him, the madman grabbed my ankles and pulled me off the bed,ughing as my body hit the floor.


    "The look on your face," he heaved. "It''s priceless. Goddess, if only you could see yourself right now, you would understand why it''s so bloody funny to look at you. Aife, you are a clown, a whole ass clown." With every word that left him, I wanted to strangle Zion just a little more. He had to have lost his mindpletely, whatever the reason for it was.


    Come to think of it, he had always been a little off, but now, he actedpletely out of character. Why was he ying up this crazy behavior? Was there something new to hide from me?


    Slowly, I pushed my body off the floor and sat up to look at him. Even theugh that echoed against the walls sounded all sorts off, which made me wonder what had happened. "Zion?" I called his name and he instantly froze up. The look on his face resembled that of a deer, caught in the headlights, so I instantly knew something had to have happened.


    But when? I was asleep for a couple of hours tops, there was no way something awful might have happened all of a sudden. No, that was impossible.


    "Why are you acting so weird?" I asked, just to pull him out of the weird haze he suddenly got locked in.


    "Me? Weird?" His eyes darted everywhere but at me as he pointed his finger to his chest. "No, I''m not weird. It''s you who is weird, I could never. How dare you call me weird? I''m not weird, it''s you who''s weird."


    Seeing how off even his speech was, I decided to put him out of his misery. "What are you hiding? And why won''t you look into my eyes if you''re really not being weird about something? What did I miss? And where is Bane? Did he leave already? Without saying a proper goodbye?"


    I knew my questions would overwhelm Zion, especially if he had something to hide from me, but that was my main intention. The more pressure my questions would put on him, the better.


    My eyes followed every movement he made as Zion brought his hand to the back of his neck and scratched it. "I have no idea what you''re talking about," he muttered, still looking somewhere in the distance.


    Yeah, even a fool would see he was hiding something, probably something massive and important. But then again, seeing how the whole pack sort of viewed me as their Luna, I couldn''t understand why there was the need to keep secrets from


    me.


    "Did Bane leave already?" I repeated the question, slowly getting back to my feet and acting as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    "Well, I mean, yeah, he had to and all. That''s why I''m here, you know, to entertain you if it happens he doesn''te-" Zion pped his hands over his mouth as his eyes finally met mine. As the realization sunk in, his eyes widened. "You just told me too much, didn''t you?" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms in front of my chest, tapping my foot against the hardwood floor. Zion shook his head in denial, but I could see through him. The fool decided to lie. "If it happens he doesn''te back? Is that what you wanted to say?" I pressed.


    Zion dropped his hand to his side, sucked in a deep breath and started talking. Just... He didn''t say what I wanted to hear. "Breakfast sounds good, right? Bane told me I''m supposed to show you the territory and introduce you to everyone as the Luna. Just in case someone didn''t know already and all. I think we could eat, walk around, maybe beat some racoons with sticks or something. I don''t like those suspicious looking fucks anyway, I''m sure no one would miss their tiny criminal grabby hands."


    "Wait," I stopped him and raised my hand, "how did you go from acting like the most suspicious person on Earth to beating racoons with sticks? Are you okay? You have rabies, right? Yes, that has to be rabies."


    Stepping closer, I tried to check his forehead, but Zion started running around the room and shouting like a maniac, avoiding me as if I were about to give him gue. "Step away, witch, I don''t have rabies! I never had rabies and never will! You won''t get me alive! I won''t allow you to stick your finger up my butt to check my rabies! Never!"


    All I could do was stand frozen and watch him panic. Since when that was how people got tested for rabies?


    I had no idea where this guy was getting his energy from, but Zion didn''t stop running around like a lunatic for a good five minutes while I didn''t move a muscle. He could stop and keep some distance between us, but he still decided to overreact.


    While he was having a mental breakdown, I tried to notice if there was anything in his bodynguage to tell me what he was hiding. I even went so far as to try to catch on every word, maybe some would be unintentional and Zion could at least give me something to think about.


    However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn''t catch on to anything. On top of that, I also couldn''t focus on anything but his slip-up. Had Zion really tried to tell me that Bane thought he wouldn''te back?


    After all what we had gone through together, the hell Bane trapped me in.. Would he really leave without saying goodbye, especially if he knew there was a chance he wouldn''t return?


    I didn''t want to cry or break down like a weak link, but I couldn''t fight off the tears that filled my eyes. Everything was too much. Just when I thought I could get my happily ever after, everything came crashing down. Bane had changed, but along with his change, came more challenges in our way.


    By the time Zion stopped rambling, he noticed the tears that streamed down my cheeks. He ran up to me, grabbed my face in his hands and looked at me with the softest gaze I''ve ever seen. "Aife, are you okay? Why are you crying? Not to put any pressure on you, but if my best friend finds out I made you cry, he will kill me. This isn''t even a joke. He will kill me."


    The hint of panic in his voice made me chuckle. Even I understood that I was overwhelmed, so instead of pushing the questions again, I ignored them all and offered Zion to get breakfast. The lunatic was far too happy to hear about food, so I went with it. Later, he could tell me a little too much again and then, I would piece everything together.


    If no one was willing to give me information, I would get it on my own.

 116: I want to touch Lunas hair.

    **Aife pov**


    Unlike all of my assumptions, the day actually went by really fast. I had thought that without Bane, the hours would drag out and every happy moment would be ruined with his absence.


    However, while I found myself sulking and gazing at the door on more than a few asions throughout the day, Zion was there to take my mind off everything each time.


    By the evening, he set up a y area behind the main building and invited the families of the pack. Men arrived with their chosen mates and children. While men focused on grilling meat, sharing beers and talking about whatever men liked, women mingled around with their kids.


    No matter how many times I tried to scan the faces, I couldn''t find that one thing I was looking for. Bane''s absence hadpletely left my mind because now, I had a new question forming in my head.


    Something was off about this pack. More than I had originally assumed. Very freaking off. So much so that cold shivers kept traveling down my spine, raising goosebumps over my skin.


    As my thoughts once again took me elsewhere, I didn''t notice one of the women cautiously approaching me. She cleared her throat and I jumped at the sound, pping a hand over my heart.


    "Oh, my apologies, Luna, I didn''t mean to startle you," she hurried to exin herself. "I just came here to introduce myself and ask if you would like to join us. I didn''t see Alpha anywhere today, so we thought that perhaps you would feel morefortable surrounded by women and children."


    ncing at the woman, I instantly noticed the slight blush on her cheeks. She couldn''t be any older than thirty years old, a breathtaking beauty with hair as intensively red as fire.


    Offering her my hand, I smiled, "there''s no need to address me as Luna. My name is Aife, it''s nice to meet you. And I would love to join you."


    She grabbed my hand and shook it. "My name is Bree, and trust me, the pleasure is all mine." She grinned, still holding my hand.


    I expected her to let go, but instead, she held my hand as she pulled me closer to the bunch of women, all of their eyes on us. The kids next to them looked like they were close to bursting in excitement for some reason.


    As soon as we got a little closer, they did. The children started screaming and ran towards us, shouting greetings for Luna.


    Although there was a genuine smile across my lips, once again, I realized that my suspicions might have been true. The men of this pack had to have something to do with this odd phenomenon, so I made a mental note to discuss it with Bane when he woulde back.


    And he woulde back. There was no other way. I knew he would return to his pack... To me.


    "Come along, Luna, don''t let them distract you. The kids have had too much sugar so they''re excited to meet the woman who stole their Alpha''s heart. We''re all excited to meet you," Bree announced, sounding genuinely happy.


    I couldn''t believe that I was still in the same pack that had brought so much misery and pain upon me. It was as if I stepped in some odd twilight zone and my reality turned upside down.


    I had to add that women were very weing and instantly offered me a seat at their table, even with all the kids swarming around me like bees on steroids. Each of them tried to be louder than the others just to be acknowledged by me. While I did feel a little out of ce, I still kept the smile on my lips. They were only kids and their mothers did try their best to keep them in line.


    I didn''t get even close to the table as themotion around me became a little too much, but thankfully, Bree was a force to be reckoned with. She whistled, actually whistled, and one of the men instantly ran towards us. "What is it, my love?" He shouted over the voices, clearly panicked.


    Bree pointed at him and snapped in the most usatory tone I had ever heard. "Brian Lee Johnson, get your kid in line! All of you get your asses up and take the crotch goblins so we can have some time with Luna in peace. Damn it, isn''t it enough that you spend your dayszing around while we raise the kids? Get yourzy friends and go y football with the boys or some shit. Women need time on their own!"


    With every word, her voice became louder. I feared the kids would feel attacked, but all of them justughed and encouraged Bree''s anger. I found her son pretty quickly as the boy right next to me shouted, "that''s right, momma! Remind daddy his ce! I want to y football, but I want to touch Luna''s hair first!"


    The encouragements were wee, the hair pulling from the kids that followed right after wasn''t. A hiss of pain left me as one of the kids caught a fistful of my hair and literally hung in the air, holding onto it.


    "Enough!" Roared a deep, angered voice. The kids stepped away as my head snapped in the direction of it. Zion stood a few steps away from us, red in the face, growling and snarling. "Is this how you treat your Luna? Is this how you show her the respect she deserves? Luna is here to nurture our pack, to take care of everyone but you attack her? Wait till Alpha hears about it!" His eyes scanned the faces of the adults, focusing on men, "and he will hear about this, be sure of it. His own men, incapable of teaching their sons manners and allowing them to attack his woman. Do you have any idea what will happen to you?"


    "I''m sorry, Luna, I just wanted to touch your hair," Bree''s son sniffled, slowly running his small hand over mine.


    I kneeled and looked at the distraught boy, offering him the gentlest smile I could. "How about all of you get to touch my hair? But one at the time, so you don''t pull at it? It''s pretty painful. If you can behave, I will talk to the shouting boogeyman and bribe him with candies so Alpha doesn''t get to hear about it."


    In an instant, the kids made a line. They actually lined up and impatiently waited when they could get closer to me. Bree''s son raised his hand but instantly pulled it back and took a step back. "I won''t hurt you if I touch your hair? Promise?" "Promise," I offered him my pinky finger and he happily locked his with mine.


    I focused only on the kid in front of me, ignoring the whispers and gazes of the adults.


    With a sharp nod of his head, the little boy ced his hand on my head and slowly traced it down the length of my hair. "It''s so pretty. No wonder Alpha loves you. I would love a girl with hair as pretty as yours too, Luna." He whispered. "Thank you," I muttered, fighting off the tears that were already burning my eyes. The boy was so innocent, so pure and soft-spoken, I felt like I was missing something in my life.


    And then, he surprised me by pulling his hand away and quickly leaning closer to kiss my cheek. "Don''t tell Alpha, but one day, I will steal you from him," the boy announced and ran away, leaving me with the rest of the kids and theughing adults.

 117: Worthy of the title.

    **Aife


    pov**


    By the time all the kids got their chance to touch my hair and peck my cheek, I felt like all energy was sucked out of me, but I didn''tin. If all those kids needed to feel happy, what was a few seconds of my time, who was I to deny them? Bree had tears in her eyes as she guided me towards the table and sat down next to me. "I have never seen something like this. Ever. I''m sure everyone can agree with me. The kindness you showed them was... It was... Yes, it was. I can''t find the words. It''s hard to deal with them, but you still did. Thank you."


    The rest of the women jumped in with more words, so I just sat and listened, unsure if interrupting them would be right. But when they finished talking, my eyes scanned the faces again and I frowned.


    "What''s wrong, Luna?" Bree asked, clearly worried. She even nced over her shoulder, I was sure to alert Zion about something.


    "No need to look for Zion," I chuckled and ced my hand over hers. "I just don''t see the reject women here, that''s why my reaction to the kind words might seem off. Where are they?"


    The mothers exchanged nces, clearly taken aback. "Why are you asking? I thought this was a family event. Don''t get us wrong, we have nothing against the reject women, but we''re not quite friends either. There always has been some tension between us since we were chosen and they weren''t."


    "That''s understandable. It''s just that I thought this was a pack thing to do, not only those who were chosen and taken home, you know. As much as I love the event, I can''t help but feel bad for them. They have already been rejected in a way, left out of everything, sent pretty far to live among themselves and they can''t attend the events. How would that make you feel?"


    "Wow," Bree gasped. A look of shame washed over their faces as the women tried to avoid my gaze at all costs. "I haven''t thought about it ever before. It seems that I''m not the only one who hasn''t either." She muttered. "They''re all actually really nice. I promise they are. I stayed with them for a bit and all of them were very weing and helped me with loads of things. Maybe we could invite them so they don''t feel even more left out?" I insisted. Sure, most of them were busy with their own troubles and me, adding another, was thest thing these women needed. But still, I couldn''t close my eyes and pretend I didn''t see the injustice.


    Why would a group of women live away from the rest of the pack, lead their lives thinking they were less than they were worth, clean and work for the pack, and on top of that, be excluded from the pack events? If that wasn''t unfair, I didn''t know what it was.


    Bree perked up and gasped again, pping her hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes. "You are a true Luna," she muttered through sobs that escaped her.


    All I could do was give her a questioning look. What was a true Luna? There was the Luna, the Alpha''s mate or a chosen one, the woman who nurtured the pack and cared for people, the woman who made the Alpha better and taught him how to feel for his people, not just lead them. A true Luna? That had to be something they came up with, a concept I hadn''t heard about ever before.


    "A true Luna is a woman worthy of the title," another woman jumped in the conversation, offering me a soft smile. She reached over the table and offered me her hand, "I''m Dana, by the way."


    As I shook her hand, I reminded them all that I was d to meet them and told them my name, unsure if I wanted to keep this conversation going or if I could find a way to distract them from the topic.


    "We all once came from other packs, remember that. Most of us have been here for so long, we saw the previous woman that the Alpha chose. Don''t get me wrong, she was beautiful, she really was. However, she was also rotten. Inside. That woman didn''t care about anyone but herself. She didn''t love the Alpha. She wanted power, not the responsibilities that came with that very power she desired. You, however, are a true Luna," Dana kept talking,pletely oblivious to how ufortable her words were making me.


    The worst part was that I wasn''t ufortable because of how she said those things. It was the things she was sharing. Specifically the woman which Bane had been involved with before. I hated to admit this, but I was jealous, very bloody jealous.


    I knew I wasn''t his first, so I couldn''t hold that over his head and start trouble. But the selfish part of me somewhat hoped I was.. Or at least the first one he truly loved and cared for. I went from hating that man with passion to making my soul bleed and call his name. Bane was special and I wanted to keep him like that in my thoughts.


    Clearing my throat, I muttered a weak thank you, unsure if I had to say anything to begin with and looked around. I hoped Zion would see how freaking out of ce I was and could save me. But of course, he was too busy tossing a ball with the kids to notice me. Freaking traitor.


    "If you have any questions, we are more than d to answer those. Luna, we really want to get to know you better and for you to get to know us. We mighte across as savages to the outside world, but I promise we are very civil and we know what a shower is. You''re a part of this pack now so we want to do everything in our power to make this ce feel like home," Bree announced, ring at the rest of the women.


    Why did I have a feeling that every person around here had a secret to keep? One that they were unwilling to share with me even if my life depended on it...


    "What''s the deal with this pack?" I started, cautious. "I mean, I''m not saying you guys are weird, but some things don''t quite.. Fit in to be deemed as normal? The whole system of taking women, separating them and all that. Also, there''s another thing I''m dying to ask, but I don''t know if I should."


    Bree threw her arm around me as if we had been best friends forever. "Everything happens for a reason, Luna. The system in this pack has worked for centuries so we just stick to it, no super important reason. It just works. And you can ask us anything, don''t hold back."


    Sucking in a deep breath, I nodded and prepared myself. "Why are there only boys in this pack? I see only sons, but no daughters? What''s with that? Are men forcing you to get rid of your daughters, do they treat them as less?" The faces paled, eyes widened, jaws dropped. The whole bunch of women acted as if I had killed someone right before their eyes.


    Slowly, I turned my face to look at Bree, who was just as pale and shocked as the rest of the women. "What?" I asked,pletely lost to what might be the reason for their reaction.


    Bree nced in Zion''s direction, gulped and then leaned closer to whisper, "are you telling me they haven''t told you about the curse?"

 118: Party’s over.

    **Zion pov**


    Chilling with Aife while Bane left on his suicide mission was fun. The girl asked too many questions, which did annoy me a little and force me into a rather ufortable position, but I dealt with it all like a big boy. As the day slowly went by, I realized I would have to think about some creative ways to distract her so I came up with an idea to have a barbeque. It was a sess.


    Well, up until the kids swarmed her like she was thest peanut butter and jelly sandwich. At first, it looked all innocent and cute, but when the fuckers started attacking her, I was mortified. I seriously didn''t know what to do since they were just kids, but those grabby hands did some damage, so I started shouting at everyone.


    Of course, Aife was way better than me. She bribed the kids with something and the little fuckers just lined up and patiently waited for their turn to touch her hair. I seriously wanted to line up too because they looked like they really enjoyed touching her hair. Funny thing - I wasn''t the only adult who seemed curious.


    Anyway, once they were done with touching Aife''s hair and smothering her with cheek kisses, I dragged the whole bunch of kids aside to y some ball. All fun and games, of course, until I overheard the conversation those women were having with Aife.


    As soon as they brought up the curse, I panicked. I tossed the ball away and ran towards them. Apparently, I hit a kid in their face, but while someone shouted something and the kid cried, I broke through the crowd and reached the spot women were sitting in.


    Aife''s mouth was open, she was about to question them, but before she could, I grabbed her and tossed her over my shoulder. "Party''s over," I growled at the women and left them behind.


    Some of the pack men gave me curious nces, but every time I caught them looking, I growled. Aife was kicking her feet and hitting my back while she demanded for me to release her, but I didn''t budge.


    That shit they were about to discuss, she had no right to find it out. At least not this soon. And definitely not from those women. If anyone were about to tell her anything, it had to be my best friend.


    The curse was Bane''s secret. It was the weight he carried, something he had been trying to break ever since he found out about it, so if Aife were to stick around and only if Bane wanted her to know, he would tell her himself. I carried her to the bedroom, opened the door and basically shoved her inside, mming the door closed and locking her in.


    Thest thing I needed was for her to get out of the building and run after those women, demanding for answers.


    Deep down, I knew I was acting like aplete dick, but this was a really freaking small price to pay to ensure everything wouldn''te crashing down before Bane returned. If Aife had to hate me until he was back, I could take it. Honestly, it kind of sucked. We had sort of grown closer and I really liked her. I liked her for Bane. Whatever she was doing - it worked. My best friend was seeing things differently and bing a better person, all for her. I couldn''t risk losing


    it.


    Stalking down the stairs and out of the building, I felt like my blood was boiling in anger. No one had left yet, the men and women were busy cleaning up and chatting while the kids had started ying the ball again. I guess I didn''t injure that one too badly then.


    As soon as everyone noticed my presence, they froze. Men parted their way for me while women stood in a line and averted their gazes to their feet. From the corner of my eye, I could see how men were struggling to stay put.


    I got it. Their instincts screamed to protect their mates, but there wasn''t much they could really do to hold me back. And besides, I wasn''ting here to punish anyone, just establishing some boundaries and shit. Stopping right in front of the line, I cleared my throat. "Look at me."


    All heads snapped up as my eyes scanned them. As soon as my gaze met that of Bree, I knew I had the woman responsible for the slip-up I barely prevented.


    "Bree," I hissed and brought my hand to my face, pinning the bridge of my nose.


    "Yes, oh all-mighty Beta Zion?" Bree dragged the words, clearly intent on pushing my buttons today. She knew I had a soft spot for her, so she always acted a little wild since my dumbass would get her dumbass out of trouble all the damn time.


    "Why... Just why... You know what? Yeah, that''s the bloody question. Why?" I couldn''t find the right words, no matter how hard I tried. "Why, what?" She frowned.


    Instead of talking, I motioned towards her, in general to all of her body. All she did was giggle, which seriously didn''t make me feel like we were getting any closer to answers I sought. "Why do you always have to be the problem, huh? Why couldn''t you give me a goddamn break and be a part of the problem? No, you wake up every morning and when you do, the Devil himself feels sad because you''re about to cause more chaos than that fucker could. Why can''t you just be a little less?"


    As if on cue, her mate appeared next to me, threw his arm around my shoulders and sighed. "I ask her this every day, my friend. Trust me, she might seem like a lot here, but you should see her everyday at home. That''s where she''s the mostfortable in her skin. That''s where the true crimes happen. The other week, she hit me with a wok. A bloody wok."


    ncing between them two, I still was as far from establishing the ground rules as I possibly could. Bree grinned like she was about to ughter an entire Kingdom worth of men force while her mate paled, looking genuinely terrified of her. Shaking my head, I realized just telling them what was eptable and what wasn''t was better. I couldn''t get any decent answers even if I tortured Bree. Honestly, I had a feeling she might secretly like the torture.


    "Okay. We will have one massive rule, alright? No one but Alpha is allowed to discuss the curse or bring it up. He hasn''t told Luna anythring for a reason and it really isn''t your fucking ce to take it from him. Get it?" I raised my voice for everyone to hear.


    Not surprisingly, everyone but Bree instantly agreed, shaking their heads and muttering an agreement. As I red at Bree, she shrugged and grinned, "no promises."


    I crossed my arms in front of my chest and mimicked her chuckle. "Oh, I know, you''re on another list of crazies. If you tell her anything, mark my words, I won''t help you. In fact, I will be the one who tells Bane you told her everything. And if she runs, you''ll be responsible for it. Don''t fear me, you know I wouldn''t hurt you. Ever. But Bane... Yeah, he wouldn''t stop at just hurting you if you cost him that woman. And he wouldn''t be alone. THAT would be angry too."

 119: Sweet dreams.

    **Aife


    pov**


    This was my life now. Left without answers, so darn close to finding out about a well-kept secret and before that could happen, the caveman decided to lock me inside the bedroom.


    Of course, my problems weren''t nearly as grand as those of other people, but it didn''t mean my problems didn''t matter.


    Sitting on the bed, I tried to follow everything that had happened, doing my best to think if Zion said or did anything to give out what was happening.


    Bane left without any real notice. Zion had been acting so out of character, it was painfully obvious. During the whole day, he had been doing anything to distract me, even hosting a surprise party...


    But why was he distracting me? No matter how hard I tried toe up with answers that made any sense, I couldn''t figure out why he was so darn hell-bent on doing anything to ensure I was busy.


    A part of me assumed that could be connected to Bane and his absence, but what didn''t make sense was that I knew he was about to leave. While he didn''t offer me any details about his sudden trip, it wasn''t like I waspletely unaware about everything.


    At one point, my head started hurting. I was thinking too hard, focusing on the wrong details, that had to be the answer.


    Just as I figured that taking a nap could ease the headache, someone knocked on the door. Great, just when I decided toply with Zion''s stupid idea of locking me in, someone wanted me out.


    "Who''s there?" I called out, but didn''t get an answer. More knocks followed the previous one, but as I kept asking for a name, no one replied.


    "I can''t open the door, I''m locked in here so if you have anything to tell me, please do so. The knocking is driving me wild," I called and the knocking instantly stopped.


    For a brief moment, I thought this odd thing was over. But it wasn''t. Whoever stood on the other side of the door checked the handle and hissed. Soon after, I heard a weird sound, which resembled one I had heard in movies when people tried to open locks with pins.


    My heart started hammering in my chest as panic surged through me. "Who are you? What do you want?" I shouted, but once again, there wasn''t an answer.


    The more panicked I grew, the louder the sound became. It echoed against the walls and hit me with such intensity, I had to force my hands on my ears to try to ignore it.


    If there was one thing I learned in the past, it was that I had to listen to my gut feeling. And right now, it was bordering on sick and twisted, not just wrong.


    Shooting to my feet, I ran to the window, opened it and leaned outside. Zion stood in front of a bunch of women, raising his voice as he seemed to argue. As much as I would love to give him a moment to force his anger on others, I knew I didn''t have time for it.


    "Zion!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, startling everyone in front of the house.


    "I''lle and get you in a few minutes, please be patient," he shouted back.


    Just as he was about to turn his back on me and focus on whatever he was doing, I heard the door behind me open and screamed again. "Someone just broke into the room!"


    That was enough for him to react. While I knew many regr people would ask more questions, Zion wasn''t like that. He ran into the building like a bullet, followed by the pack men.


    I couldn''t turn around and face whoever decided to break in. My body was paralyzed in fear and although I feared the possibility of this person pushing me out of the window, I kind of hoped that would happen. At least then I wouldn''t have to face anyone.


    The only thing I could hear was my own breathing and how wildly my heart hammered in my chest. I felt a presence behind me, but oddly enough, I didn''t feel like I was in any immediate danger. Whoever broke in didn''t get too close to me or speak.


    Why would anyone break in just to stand aside and stare at me? The only thing I could imagine as the reason for this forced invasion was to hurt me, but why didn''t the person try anything then?


    I was too confused to think at this point. It felt as if with every step I took forward, I was forced two steps back as if fate was testing me every time I tried anything.


    Gripping the windowsill with all my might, I tried to will myself to spin around and face the invader, but it proved to be easier to think about it than actually doing anything.


    "It is true. You exist," the person behind me whispered. The voice was barely audible, but I could tell it was a woman and that fact alone made me feel a little less endangered, so I sucked in a deep breath, let go of the windowsill, straightened my body and spun around to face her.


    A surprised gasp left me. In front of me stood an old woman, most likely around eighty, dressed in a long, ck dress with a wide hood. I couldn''t focus on anything but her piercing green eyes, which seemed to stare straight into my soul. "You exist. You really exist," she kept repeating, confusing me more with every word she muttered.


    I tried to take a step forward, if only to check if I wasn''t dreaming or seeing things, but as I did, the woman took a step back and the next second, Zion appeared behind her.


    The men that followed Zion tried to grab the olddy, but she was too fast. How she could move that fast was beyond me, but watching her, I felt like I was watching someone dancing, not trying to avoid being caught by a bunch of massive guards.


    In a blink of an eye, she appeared in front of me, lifted her fist in front of her face, opened it and blew some weird powder in my face.


    "Get her! Get the fucking witch before she leaves the house, don''t let her close the doors!" Zion roared so loud, the growl that tore out of him shook the windows.


    Thest thing I saw was the glint in those green orbs and the slight smirk that spread across her lips as the woman mouthed, "sweet dreams."

 120: They want you dead.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I knew better than to leave the pack unprepared, but I was in such a hurry to find out what was happening, I didn''t think about the possibilities and risks. Or consequences. Fuck me.


    As it turned out, some things didn''t remain inside my pack, no matter how hard I had tried to ensure no information left our territory.


    Well, on the bright side - I knew there was a rat among my people. On the not so bright side - I couldn''t quite do anything about that while I was chained to a wall and slowly bleeding out.


    I couldn''t get even close to the Lycan King before I was shot with a fucking dart like some bloody wild animal and tadaa, I woke up inside a dirty, smelly cell, enjoying the luxury only silver jelwery could provide.


    Every time I moved, my skin literally burned. And by burned I meant even with the damn sound, just like a piece of meat dropped into a pot of heated oil.


    While I was fighting the urge to scream until I would lose my voice, some of the guards walked back and forth in the hall, but every time they looked at me, they tried to do it in a sneaky way, as if they were scared I would notice them watching.


    Honestly, I was confused. If they acted like a bunch of low-life rats that feared me, why were they holding me here? What could I have possibly done to earn treatment as such. Other than wiping maybe a few packs off the face of Earth, of course. But I was goodtely. I hadn''t killed anyone in a month or so.


    Another guard passed by the cell, so I called out to him. "Can I get water? I feel like an unwanted guest with theck of food and water."


    The guy stopped, but didn''t look at me. In fact, he looked around as if he was scared someone could notice him and then, took a step closer to the cell. He didn''t touch the metal, which was weird.


    "If I were you, I would avoid drinking water or eating anything here. They''re adding wolfsbane to everything. Don''t touch the bars or anything that even remotely resembles metal, it''s silver. We''re working on getting you out of here, but that''ll take time. Just.. try to stay alive, okay?" He whispered and walked away as if this conversation never happened.


    Well, now I knew someone was trying to kill me. All that was left was to figure out who and why.


    A muscle in my arm twitched, slightly moving my wrist and effectively forcing the silver deeper into the flesh. "Motherfucker," I hissed and gritted my teeth.


    Yeah, getting out of here sounded like a good freaking idea. I had went through some shit in my life and knew what proper torture felt, but this was a little too excessive. There were better way to torture someone, especially if the target wasn''t supposed to die fast.


    Slowly, I turned my head to inspect the damage. My wrists were bleeding - baldly. I could kiss goodbye to the idea of wearing watches or bracelets as there was no skin left wherever silver had touched it and the areas around the cuffs were covered in very nasty looking blisters.


    At this point, if I didn''te up with a n to get out of here within the next few hours, I would surely bleed to death. That couldn''t happen. I promised Aife I woulde back home and if it came to it, I woulde back from dead and kill every fucker who stood in my way just to keep the promise.


    She didn''t want me to leave in the first ce, so this whole mess is on me. If I had listened to her, maybe I wouldn''t be here. No, I fucking really wouldn''t be here.


    If only I could act like an adult and think about my choices, I most likely wouldn''t have left the bed and could enjoy the calm days, holding her in my arms. I really fucking missed her. And not because of the pain, darkness or the stench. I missed her because that woman became the center of my universe.


    Sighing, I focused on everything about her. Aife was the only positive thing in my life and deep down, I hoped that thoughts about her, the memories of the moments we shared, would help me power through this madness. My mind brought me back to every time I could kiss her lips. I focused on the smile she always had on her face and the beautiful blush that covered her cheeks. No matter how often I stole a kiss, the reaction always was the same, so damn pure and the look in her eyes.. Damn, it was so loving, so intense. I really missed her so fucking bad it hurt more than the stupid silver.


    Just as the realization hit me, someone cleared their throat. I looked up and noticed the same guard standing by the bars, looking around and whispering. "Five minutes. We will have to act fast if we don''t want to get caught, but be ready. Another guy wille here under the pretense of bringing you food and water. He will remove the cuffs and chains, and then, you''ll have about three minutes to get to the exit until someone notices your disappearance. Will you be able to walk?"


    Judging by how panicked the guy looked, I could tell whoever owned these dirty cells was some big shot. This wasn''t the usual pack that took in prisoners.


    "I can walk," I muttered and hung my head, ying along with his game.


    "Three minutes. Get ready." He added and left.


    A ray of hope spread through my chest. I hadn''t experienced the worst here yet, but I already had someone on my side, which even with the circumstances was still a win in my damn books.


    My eyes didn''t leave the hall. Well, sort of. I focused my gaze on the dirty floor, but still kept an eye on the barely illuminated hall for the passing shadows to see if anyone arrived or left.


    I ended up counting seconds to keep a track on the guards words and sure thing, just as he said, the man with the food and water arrived just on time. He shouted some insane usations at me as his gloved hands unlocked the cell and he entered.


    "This will hurt like a bitch, bite your tongue for all I care but don''t make a sound," he whispered and ced the tray with food and water aside. He then hurried to me and unlocked the cuffs.


    Just as he promised, the process indeed hurt like a bitch. I bit the inside of my cheek and held my breath as he peeled the cuffs off my flesh. As soon as he released me, I almost copsed, but seeing the initial state of shock my body experienced, the guy tossed my arm around his shoulders and led me out of the cell.


    "I can carry you, but not for long," he offered and stopped. I was about to say no, but he actually grabbed me and threw me over the shoulder. As he ran down numerous halls, I could hear him mutter something about being surprised that I was still alive, but I wrote it down to future discussion we might have if we really got out of here.


    This time, I didn''t count seconds, but I was sure it was less than three minutes by the time he reached the exit door. As soon as it opened, he took off, running towards thick forest.


    Once we were pretty far in, he stopped and let me back to my feet. "Thanks," I muttered and nced over his shoulder. "Where the fuck am I?" I couldn''t help but ask.


    The guard nced back and encouraged me to start running as he was sure they would notice my absence very soon.


    "Who are they?" I pressed, already turning my back on him and heading deeper into the forest.


    To my surprise, he followed behind me instead of returning and pretending he wasn''t involved. It had to be a good ten minutes until I heard rms go off in the distance and we started running.


    "The high Council. You were taken by the high Council. I have no idea what the fuck you did, but they want you dead. And by dead I mean six feet under like yesterday."

 121: You freed us.

    **Bane


    pov**


    By some twisted luck of fate, we weren''t caught. They got pretty close but since my savior was pretty familiar with our surroundings, he found a perfect ce for us to hide and soon enough, we lost those fuckers.


    Now, since the night was nearing and forests weren''t safe even for us, we decided to stop and get some rest inside a cave. It was perfectly hidden from everyone''s view, but it also provided an amazing view from us. If anyone were to approach the cave, we would see them before they would notice the cave.


    As we sat on the rocks and gazed out, I realized I needed to thank him properly. Just a quick thanks couldn''t cut it for everything he did and risked to save my ass.


    "Thank you for everything you did. Seriously, I''m beyond grateful. If you wouldn''t have taken the risk, I would probably die in that cell," I whispered, just in case someone was around and could hear us talk.


    "Consider us even now." He muttered and grinned.


    Looking at the guy, I raised an eyebrow. I didn''t know him. I had never met him. How were we even, if I hadn''t done anything for him?


    "Ah," he chuckled and shook his head. "I see the wheels in your head turning. Don''t overthink it. I owed you, trust me I did, big time. I got you out of there only because I wanted to repay you for everything you did for me and my mother," he grinned and offered me a sandwich he pulled out of the pocket.


    I took the food, but still stared at him like an idiot. I couldn''t understand what I could possibly have done, let alone remember when. He had to have mistaken me for someone. I never did anything good for others. I was known for ughtering packs, not saving them.


    As truly thankful I was for this guy, I couldn''t get over the fact that he had to be one of those delusional, mad fucks who worshipped serial killers and horror movie characters.


    "You don''t remember me?" He suddenly asked, sounding genuinely offended and somewhat sad.


    I took a few more minutes to take him in. If I had to bepletely honest, he looked like any other average guy I had met millions of times before. Nothing outstanding or worth remembering. Sighing, I looked down and shook my head. "Sorry, I don''t. I''ve met far too many people in my lifetime so I''m having trouble remembering faces," I admitted.


    The guy hummed, seemingly deep in thought and then startedughing. I had no idea what was so funny about the situation, but I let him have augh. The mood was too damp anyway, at least one of us could be somewhat happy. "No, it''s actually my fault, you don''t need to feel sorry about anything. I didn''t think of a few details, just assumed you would remember me after all those years." He exined, still leaving me in the dark.


    I looked at him again and tried to recall the face. Nothing, empty fucking picture.


    Groaning and ignoring the pain, I ran my hand through my hair. "I would appreciate it if you could tell me a little more because I truly can''t pinpoint the moment we might have met before. And what did I do to actually earn the kindness you''re showing me? Why would you save me and then well me we''re even?"


    "You saved us. You gave her hope," he whispered.


    "Details, I really need details."


    His face twisted into an expression of pain and I instantly regretted asking the question. Sadly, it wasn''t like I could just take it back and pretend I never asked it. "Sorry."


    "No," he whispered and shook his head again. "I knew this day mighte. In fact, I hoped it would. I really hoped I could face you again and tell you about everything we experienced, thank you for everything you gave us.''


    He was struggling. I could see it in his bodynguage, in his eyes and hear it in his voice. The selfish part of me wanted to hear everything, but the newfound understanding part of me, the part Aife would be proud of, knew it was better to distract him and provide an out.


    So, without focusing on anything but the need to change the topic, I offered him my hand and spoke, "my name is Bane. Can I know yours too? You know, so I can properly thank you for everything you did for me out there."


    "I know your name, silly," heughed but still grabbed my hand. "I''m Chris."


    "Nice to meet you, Chris. And thank you. I know I already said it, but really, thank you."


    He held my hand a little longer than anyone would and focused his gaze on my wrist. "It looks really bad. After we rest, we need to find a better hideout and tend to those wounds," he stated.


    I just nodded. "Who''s getting some sleep first? I assume we will take turns. If you''re tired, I can watch the surroundings for an hour or two and then we can switch," I offered, still intent on doing anything to avoid the topic that clearly haunted the guy.


    The worst part was that now that I could look at him, actually see his face and features, I realized he couldn''t be a day older than sixteen. How this guy managed to carry me like I weighed nothing was beyond me. "How old are you, Chris?" I blurted out the question before I could hold myself back.


    "Fifteen," he grinned.


    "Only fifteen? How the hell could you carry me? I''m heavy, you know," Iughed to ease the situation.


    "Yeah, I know you''re heavy. Just like you said, I carried you. And as for how - I''m visiting gym at least three times a day and I joined the top tier warrior trainingst year, that''s also why I look like a grown man, not a teenager." Goddess, the questions, I had so many damn questions...


    "My mom said I should give you a hug, by the way. She left the territory as soon as they brought you in and chained you to that wall. She is the mastermind behind this escape, she guided me and came up with a n." Chris announced with nothing but pridecing his words.


    I offered him a smile. "You should tell her I''m very grateful for what you both did for me."


    "And she will tell you the same thing I did - we owe you that much. Don''t think I''m stupid just because I''m younger. I noticed how you''re trying to hold back from asking questions and how you keep avoiding this conversation about this mess. Do you remember what you did five years ago?"


    I actually took a moment to think, yet couldn''t recall anything. "Honestly? No, I don''t." I admitted.


    "You burned down a pack. Wiped it off the. And then, you killed the Alpha. I watched you rip that asshole in pieces. And let me tell you - it was glorious. You freed us. Thanks to you, we could escape and live. We survived because of you."

 122: The son of that bastard.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I got about an hour of sleep. It wasn''t much, but enough for me to wake up like a brand new man. As new as I could be with my skin and flesh barely healing. Those fuckers were using pure silver to hold me locked down there, so it didn''t surprise me that my body wasn''t up the speed and the voice in my head finally didn''t bother me.


    Chris hadn''t moved for an inch. I had to give this boy some credit. Even after he saved me, I didn''t fully trust him, but since he didn''t do anything while I was asleep, I could try to cut him some ck.


    Sitting up, I stretched my sore muscles and hissed as another unweed wave of pain traveled through my body. Chris looked at me with nothing but worry as the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of liquid. "Here, have some water. It''s notced with anything, don''t worry," he smiled as I took the bottle and gulped down the water as if I hadn''t had any water in days.


    Honestly, it felt like that. My throat felt as dry as sandpaper. As I closed the bottle and handed it back to him, I looked around again. Now, this ce didn''t look like any other regr cave. It looked like the entrance to hidden tunnels that lead somewhere.


    "Finally noticed the tunnels, huh?" Chris chuckled.


    "Yeah," I muttered, still gazing into the darkness. "Where do they lead?"


    "No idea," he shrugged. "These tunnels are pretty darn old. I tried to check them out once, but there are far too many branches and the direction I took brought me back to the High Council building. I didn''t check the others as I wasn''t exactly allowed to roam around or leave the premises, but I think the others lead elsewhere. I think. I don''t know."


    "Are we using them?" I asked, a little curious about his future ns.


    One thing was pretty clear - Chris didn''t look like he was nning to return to the ce he saved me from. Given that he mentioned his mother leaving, I assumed he didn''t have anything to return to.


    For most part, I could read everyone and predict their intentions. With Chris it was a bit challenging. He mentioned living his life to the fullest, yet he threw it all out, leaving the life he built behind just for me.


    Was he nning to go back to the High Council? Did he n to follow me around? Or was his intention to lead me somewhere safer and then leave to join his mother?


    Before Chris could answer my question, I added another one. "What is your n? I can''t help but wonder what will happen to you next, especially if you decide to return to the High Council and still serve them."


    "Fuck no!" Chris hissed, ring at me in disbelief. The boy actually looked like I had offended him. "There is no way I will go back to those old fucks and keep acting like their servant. For others, the outsiders, they might seem like high, mighty and fair bunch of old men. But they''re not. They are everything but that. I would think you know that after the experience you just had with them."


    Raising my eyebrow, I decided to poke the bear a little more. Maybe in a state of emotional distress, he will give me some answers. Chris was pretty level-headed, way too mature for his age.


    "If it was bad for you, why did you live there and work for them? And don''t count my experience, I had to have done something to piss them off. I might have an idea or two about what I did." A bitter chuckle left me.


    I had a feeling that the High Council got pissy after I made an assumption about their fog fuckers. While for me, it was nothing more than an assumption at the beginning, their reaction did nothing but prove that I was right to think so. They probably didn''t want to see me getting close to the Lycan King and spilling their dirty, little secrets.


    "Remember I mentioned that you were the reason why we could escape?" Chris whispered the question.


    I nodded, giving him the time and room to speak his mind.


    "After we got away from that hell, my mother and I had nowhere else to go. You see, the man you ughtered held the pack under his rule like we were his property, his toys to y around with. We couldn''t reach anyone outside the pack, not even distant rtives. What I didn''t make crystal clear is that I happen to be the son of that bastard. Nothing to be proud of. Anyway, when mom took me away, we didn''t know if we had any living rtives or anyone to help," Chris sucked in a deep breath and shook his head.


    The boy was stronger than he thought. Clearly, he had gone through hell and back, and he still was standing, helping others in need - fighting for what was right, not what others deemed right. He was a man of his own ord and I seriously respected him for that. After a rather tense moment of silence, he started talking again. "Since we had nowhere else to go, no one to ask help from, we went to the only ce we knew we could find any protection. Mom was very thankful for the stunt you pulled because it provided an out for us, but at the same time, she feared you mighte after us because of who my father was. So, we went to the High Council. That''s pretty much it."


    I listened to every word he said, but I still didn''t hear the answer for the question I asked. Overall, he told me how he ended up in the High Council territory, but Chris didn''t tell me why he stayed there.


    As if he could read my mind, Chris chuckled. "I decided to stay because I knew this day woulde. I knew you would end up in those cells and no one but me could help you escape." "How?"


    "When we first went there, the Council offered us jobs to earn a roof over our heads, food and clothing. Nothing much, basically the bare minimum. And when we agreed, my mom was sent to work in the kitchen while I had to train to be a guard. When they realized Alpha blood is in my veins, they decided to push me through harder training and turn me into a weapon only they could use. During those training sessions, I overheard some of the higher guards discuss shit. The Council has had it out for you for longer than you think."


    Now, I was lost. I assumed fog fucks had to be the reason why the High Council were after my ass, but I found out about them literally days ago. What could make them want me dead before that?


    "I can''t give you details as I don''t have them myself, but from what I heard, you are a threat. No idea why, something about you scares the living hell out of the whole Council, that''s why they''re after you."

 123: I haven’t broken any law.

    **Killian


    pov**


    I was so close to getting her all to myself, I could almost feel her in my arms, I could almost imagine the smell of her hair and the brightness of her smile. Everyone thought I was mad, but if bing a mad man meant I could get what I was entitled to, I was fine with that.


    Her family.. They were a fucking nightmare. Her father in particr has to be the stupidest man alive, and honestly, these days, I wondered how the man had survived this long.


    He had to be what, like hundred? That could be far-fetched, but he didn''t look a day younger, so I didn''t really care.


    Now, as I sat in my office with the sole intent to hide away from the moron, I couldn''t help but wonder if his daughter''s disappearance was a curse or a blessing. I, too, wouldn''t mind being kidnapped if I got away from a moron like him. As if on cue, a knock on the office door startled me. A loud, annoyed groan left me as I pinched the bridge of my nose and red at the door. If only whoever stood behind that door could feel my stare, maybe they would leave. But of course, as freaking always, that didn''t work as I wished it would. If anything, the knocking became more intense and louder. Taking a few deep breaths, I braced myself and stered another fake smile on my lips as I called out, e in!"


    As expected, the old fool opened the door and entered my office as if he owned the whole ce. A funny fact about him was that he didn''t appear self-aware. Like at all. Wherever he went, he carried a sense of entitlement and arrogance I hadn''t seen ever before. It wasn''t strength, power or title, just pure ego.


    "How may I help you?" I asked, feeling disgusted at how inviting my tone sounded as it rang against the damn walls.


    The old fool sat down right across from me and frowned. "Are you doing anything at all? Anything but sitting in this office and sulking at your own shadow? Son, I want to see my daughter wed. I don''t want to die before I get to see her getting married to a good man."


    Fighting against the insane need to roll my eyes, I stood from my seat and approached the window to look outside. For as long as I had my back turned on him, he wouldn''t see my facial expressions. This stunt came at risk, of course. The old bastard could try to stab me in the back at any given time.


    "I''m doing everything in my power, dad," I answered, barely holding back the gag. The damn aftertaste of that one word in my throat would probably haunt me till the end of my days.


    He wasn''t my father and would never be, even if I married his daughter. And I did fully intend to marry her.


    "Well, you''re not doing enough," he huffed.


    We had been through this shit so many times, I knew he had crossed his arms in front of his chest and frowned even without looking at the bastard.


    Sometimes, I wondered how bad it would be if I took the risk and killed him. Just a quick snap and done, he would be gone. While the thought was very inviting and made me feel a little better about myself, I knew it wouldn''t please my future wife so I had to hold back from acting on instinct.


    "There isn''t that much I could do right now, or is there something? Besides, we have had this conversation more times than I can count, so what''s the point in discussing this today? Not to be rude or anything, but isn''t it your fault that he took her? We had a deal, I already paid you and just a few months before I was supposed to collect my prize, you lost it."


    The silence that followed my words was deafening, apanied by a tension that was so thick, we could cut it with a knife.


    "I didn''t do anything," he huffed again, as always, denying his faults.


    If it weren''t for this fucker, changing Bane, we wouldn''t be hiding in my territory like some leftover bitches. The old bastard knew what he did when he decided to poke the most unpredictable man known to the entiremunity. "So, you''re saying you didn''t send the letters to taunt him, right?" I chuckled.


    "No, I didn''t," he kept denying the truth.


    Slowly, turning around, I finally faced the bastard and red at him again. If looks could kill, this piece of shit would be dead and forgotten by now.


    Taking a step closer, I cleared my throat and smiled again. This time, I didn''t bother to appear kind or nice, the smile was menacing and clearly a warning about the things I was dying to do to him.


    "Bane is an asshole. I know that, you know that, fuck it, everyone knows that. But what we also know about Bane is that he won''t go out of his way to ughter an entire pack if no one provokes him. You had iting, you knew what was about to go down, yet, you still went and made the stupidest decision in the history of wolf shifters. If it weren''t for your need to appear like a winner in everyone''s eyes, your pack wouldn''t have suffered the consequences. I hate that guy, but I still am man enough to admit he won''t do anything reckless just for shits and giggles."


    While I spoke, his eyes darted everywhere but at me. He knew I wasn''t ying around and this entire mess was his own doing.


    All things aside, there was only one thing that truly caught my attention. Bane wasn''t known as someone who left witnesses. Ever.


    But s, here he was, leaving the old man and his new wife alive. Why? Why would Bane spare the life of someone he clearly despised more than his entire bloodline. And for the record - Bane''s bloodline was truly fucked up. There was nothing to love or respect there.


    "I haven''t broken anyw," the old man muttered and shot to his feet. Whenever he got pissy like this, he acted as if he was in his early twenties, not into the process of dposition. As always, he pointed a finger at me as if I was the root of his miserable existence and snarled, "I will forgive the disrespect this time, but no more. You''re too emotional to be taken seriously, we will discuss this during dinner."


    With that being said, he stormed out of my office and mmed the door on his way out. Now, I could breathe and think of the n properly.


    Within the next three days, I was nning to enter Bane''s territory and take what he stole from me. Finally, I could get her back.

 124: If you weren’t…

    **Zion pov** Officially fucked. That was what I was now. And the entire pack followed right in my footsteps. All of us were officially fucked. Awfully so...


    If Bane would get to hear what happened, he wouldn''t hesitate to behead the entire pack.


    My best friend might be iming Aife as if she was nothing but his chosen Luna, but I knew she was more than that. This little, feisty girl had managed to steal the very heart of the beast while he didn''t have any idea about it. Now, I had toe up with a way to quickly deal with the situation, ensure Aife was safe and Bane didn''t get to hear even snippets of this mess.


    First on my list was a conversation with the goddamn woman who somehow got past our defenses and broke into Aife''s and Bane''s bedroom. Honestly, I had to admit that I was surprised by her abilities to actually get this damn far. We hadn''t had any intruders in our pack for ages so this one was truly surprising. Maybe I was mostly surprised and impressed because it had been so long since someone dared to step on Bane''s territory. Even rogues avoided us as if we had gue.


    Sucking in a deep breath to ground myself, I grabbed the handle, pushed it down and opened the door to the staircase that led straight down to the cells.


    This was the one ce in the building I hated more than the dirty bathrooms. The stench that hit me instantly made me gag and the poorly illuminated staircase always gave me the creeps.


    I wasn''t very fond of ces like this, so let''s say there was a reason why Bane always dealt with the prisoners or hung around the stupid cells.


    "You can do this, Zion. It''s no biggie, you''re a big boy. Just go down there, confront the rotten teeth witch and leave. What''s the worst that could happen?" I muttered under my breath as I started walking down, somewhat still attempting to hold my breath just to avoid breathing in the stench.


    I bet that would be real impressive of me to face a witch and vomit all over my shoes while she watched. So damn manly, she would probably fall in love with me the moment she saw what I had for lunch.


    My eyes started watering as the acidic stench of piss hit my nostrils. I had told Bane toe up with some way to ensure prisoners had at least a damn toilet, but no, the guy insisted leaving them rot there with buckets for the toilet was better. I guess it was in a sense if he wanted to torture everyone and embarrass them beyond means, but who was I to question the Alpha''s ways, right?


    Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was greeted by a bunch of guards who were busy ying cards. All of them sat around the small table as if nothing bothered them. These guys were my fucking heroes. How they got used to the stench and the sounds that came from those cells was beyond me.


    "Where can I find her?" I asked the guys, scanning the rows of the dark cells, kind of hoping I could notice her somewhere close to the guards.


    I really, really didn''t want to walk down to thest cells and keep breathing in the stench. This was so darn unhygienic and gross, I kind of hoped someone could have chained this woman to a tree outside or some shit of that sort. "Third cell on the left. We think she''s about to starve herself to death, been screaming a while, seems real scared of meeting the Alpha." One of the guards chuckled.


    Giving them a sharp nod, I braced myself and walked to the cell. As soon as I stopped in front of it, I smiled at the woman who was cowering in the corner of the cell. Her cheeks were stained with ugly, red marks, so I knew she had been crying. Probably a lot.


    Cleaning my throat, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and waited for her to look at me. Oddly enough, she didn''t even look my way and clearly did her best to avoid making eye contact with me.


    "Don''t you want to get out of here, witch? You do realize it would be in your best interests to start talking, right? All I want is an exnation of what and why you did it. We can reach some sort of agreement and I could even think about keeping this a secret from Alpha Bane."


    At the mention of his name, she tensed. I could barely see her, but I saw more tears escaping her eyes as she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them.


    Tilting my head to one side, I frowned. Wasn''t the witch old? Why did she look like she couldn''t be more than twenty-something years old? What kind of mindfuck was this?


    "Will you speak or would you prefer it if Bane came here to discuss what you did? Unlike me, he is a man of few words, I''m sure you''ve heard as much," I made sure to sound annoyed, at the end of my rope.


    I could, technically, try to build some weird friendship with the intruder to make her feel safer, but since I didn''t intend to spend more time here than necessary, I didn''t have time for that.


    Taking another step closer to the bars, I tried to see more of her and in return, she tried to hide away from my gaze. Something about this woman was off and honestly, as much as I hated being here, I was dying to find out what she was trying to hide.


    "Why are you hiding? I haven''t done anything yet, I haven''t threatened you or tried to enter the cell. For now, I''m being very civil to someone who just harmed my Luna. You should be grateful for the kindness I''m showing. Alpha Bane wouldn''t have hesitated to torture you until you undid the damage and then, he would tortoure you some more before you died. You know, to make it more fun for himself and painful for you. Unlike Bane, I am a very forgiving man. Keep this in mind."


    I spoke nothing but the truth. I had been my best friend''s psycho sidekick, but for the most part, I was kinder and more understanding than Bane could ever be. He always opted for violence while I tried to gain answers first.


    "A wolf and forgiving, you have to be kidding me," she chuckled, yet she didn''t look my way.


    "She has a voice, wow, I need to write this down somewhere so I never forget this victorious moment. She has a bloody voice. Who would have thought that was possible."


    I wanted to see a reaction, so I decided that mockery could be a good idea. For most part, everyone got really freaking butt hurt if their egos were attacked like this.


    But not her. She didn''t appear offended. Instead, sheughed at my words and agreed, "yes, I think you should. Why don''t you pull out your fluffy pink notebook and write it down this instant before you forget?" So fucking taken aback I was... So this was love?


    Shaking my head, I quickly rid myself of the stupid thoughts. All this woman did was match my energy and I was already wagging my tail like a desperate bitch. God, I needed a fuck as soon as possible.


    "If you weren''t someone who attacked my Luna, I would like you. Greateback," I chuckled.


    "If you weren''t a dirty fleabag, I would like you," she spat back, all amusement gone from her voice.


    While I knew she wanted to offend me, I justughed at her words. I had been called way worse, so her words didn''t move me.


    "Why did you do it?" I repeated the question just to see if she was willing to speak.


    "Your kind doesn''t deserve her. She is too good for fleabags. Someone had to show her that," the witch snarled at me, taking mepletely off guard.


    "What the-" I didn''t get to finish as she shot to her feet and approached the cell bars. As soon as her gaze met mine, my stomach dropped and a massive lump formed in my throat. I felt like my heart had stopped as tears stung my eyes and I dropped to my knees in front of the cell. This couldn''t be happening...

 125: Sleep paralysis demon.

    **Zion pov**


    It was my luck and my luck only. To finally find my mate and by a twisted fuckery of fate she wasn''t just a witch, she also was someone who attacked Aife and despised werewolves. To be fair, I expected my mate to be a dude, but since I was


    getting a pretty little thing like this, I didn''t dare toin.


    However, there was an issue... I knew the hatred she harbored for those like me was more than a simple dislike. I saw it in her eyes. And to be more precise - I saw it in her weird ass cat eyes. What the actual fuck?


    As if this wasn''t enough of a mindfuck, I couldn''t understand how the hell this had happened. I wasn''t supposed to have a mate... Especially not one of a different kind. Or was I supposed to say species? What on Earth was going on here? "You''re my sleep paralysis demon, are you? Makes sense because what the fuck... It doesn''t make sense because you don''t look like you''ve spent your best days in hell, giving the devilp dances and you''re not wearing lingerie. This has to be a nightmare. Shit." I hissed each word as I gritted my teeth and focused my gaze on the dirty ground.


    There was no way I was looking back at her. Like ever. Nope, not happening.


    And guess what I did? I looked at her. Fuck, I was weak. But she was so stupidly pretty, I couldn''t ignore her presence even if she looked at me like I was dirt under her feet.


    But how I didn''t notice this earlier? In the room and when I entered the cells? I could try to exin it all by saying I was too high on fear when I got to Aife and this ce reeked of piss too strongly for me to notice her scent, but that sounded kind of stupid even to me.


    Wait.. What if she was trying to fool me? What if this was a part of her scheme to break out of the cells and leave the territory before Bane got his ws on her? She was a witch, after all. A kitty cat witch. Fuck, was it Halloween already? How did I manage to bag the sexiest of all costumebos out there?


    "I''m not a demon, you fool," the feisty beauty hissed at me. I guess it was right what people often said about cat shifters and their tempers - they were explosive and very proud of themselves.


    Grinning like an actual idiot, I tilted my head and spoke. "You''re really pretty. You know that, right? Usually, it would make sense to have a bird in a cage, but look at me, getting the big bad cat in the cage."


    I wasn''t surprised by her attitude as she rolled her eyes at me. "All dogs are disgusting, but now, I learn they''re stupid as well. How you survived this long is beyond me."


    "Well, I can hunt. Also, I don''t need to hunt since someone always has food in the fridge. But then again, for me to get that food I need to enter the house, find the kitchen and open the fridge. Honestly, that in itself could be considered as a form of hunt, right? Yeah, look at me, a modern hunter. Bet you''re impressed by me now."


    The attitude left her body so fast, it was almost funny. Almost, because the snarky stuff was reced by pure disbelief. Her jaw nearly hit the floor as she stared at me, wide-eyed.


    Now, I had to figure out if she was very impressed by me or was she very freaking done with my antics. It wasn''t like I wanted to push her away ore across as an unworthy man, but I also didn''t want to tone myself down just to gain someone''s liking.


    Aife once told me that a person who truly loves you would do anything for you and wouldn''t mind the behavior for as long as it wasn''t abusive. I didn''t really know how true her words were, but since Aide was our Luna now, fuck yes I would believe every word that left her lips.


    "You must be a unicorn, are you? There is no way you''re this delusional by nature. Did your mother drop you when you were a kid? No, don''t answer that," she raised her hand and sucked in a deep breath. "I think it wasn''t an ident. When she dropped you, she kicked you, your tiny body hit the ceiling fan and you flew out of the window. That''s the only type of damage that could exin your crazy. Yes, I found the answer."


    "Wow," I gasped in surprise. "You''re pretty and funny. How did I hit the jackpot without even trying to find you? The Moon Goddess has blessed me with a smartypants."


    My words, once again, caught her off guard. She probably thought I would lose my cool if she decided to insult me, but little did she know I was into this kinky shit. Degrade me baby, degrade me.


    "I think you need help. Professional help." She hissed.


    While that statement could have been very freaking true, I held back from responding to her words. Instead, I stared at her just in case I needed to remember every detail about this woman. One day she will probably figure out a way to run from me and if worse came to happen, at least I would have a memory about her. That was something even she couldn''t take from me.


    "When can I get out of here?" She asked, voice a little calmer, softer even.


    This woman might have thought I was aplete lunatic. Which, in a sense, I was. But I wasn''t stupid. Being nice to me didn''t buy any benefits for anyone. Many have tried to manipte me before, I had enough experience with prisoners to know their tactics, so this wouldn''t work even if she offered boning me.


    With a slight smile across my lips, I pushed her buttons a little bit more. "You cane to my house if you want to get out of here. The ce is a dump, so be warned."


    A look of disgust crossed her features as she took a step back. "No way I''m going to your house. You''re probably a pervert. Also, what the hell do you mean by saying the ce is a dump? Can''t you clean or something?"


    "Nope. I am man enough to admit that I would fucking love to sleep with my mate, but not against her will. Consent is key. I''m crazy, but not rap-ey crazy, darling. Also, I can clean. I have a house but I don''t live there and I also don''t see a point in pushing more work on others while I don''t have time to do something, so the whole ce is covered in dust. Other than that, it''s in pretty neat condition. Just because I''m a little hectic doesn''t mean I''m a pig."


    Watching her was fun. In fact, it was amazing. She seemed to be someone who wore their heart on their sleeve so everything she felt was far too easy to read. She would suck balls at poker since she couldn''t bluff for shit, but I wanted a cute mate, not someone who could rob me at the casino.


    While I was stuck in my thoughts, she returned to her previous position - sitting on the ground with knees pulled to her chest.


    "I think I need some alone time. Can you let me be? I need to figure out how the bloody rejection works for flea mutts and then I can see your ugly muzzle again."

 126: Luna was attacked.

    **Aife pov**


    Not too surprisingly, I woke up in a hospital room, surrounded by a swarm of doctors and nurses. I knew Zion loved to overreact most times when something didn''t go ording to his ns, but this was far too much. Even for Zion. As I watched the frantic medical personnel discuss something,pletely unaware of the fact that I was awake, I wondered what had gotten their panties in such a twist.


    The most reasonable answer was their pure fear of Bane. But would the Alpha himself actually punish anyone if anything were to happen to me? idents happened to everyone on a daily basis, I was sure Bane would understand. "Should we tell her?" One of the nurses whisper-hissed, catching my attention.


    I knew it was wrong, very much so, but I couldn''t fight the temptation to eavesdrop on them. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing to ensure I appeared as if I was still asleep, unaware of everything.


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea. Luna was attacked, we still don''t know all the reasons for this attack and Beta Zion has been in those cells for longer than we thought he would be. I think the prisoner is refusing to tell him the reason behind the sudden attack," another voice joined the discussion.


    Someone cleared their throat, all I could say was that it had to be a man, and themotion from the medics instantly died down. I wasn''t sure if it was because he noticed I was listening, not really sleeping, or if he was someone with authority and everyone knew they had to listen to him.


    The silence that followed was deafening. It was a little funny how even I could feel how thick the tension in the room was and how much it weighed down on everyone present, including me.


    After what felt like hours with seconds as long as eternity, he finally spoke up. "I think it''s best if we try to reach out to the Alpha and tell him what''s going on here. As unbelievable as it seems, there might be a rat inside the pack. Someone we trust, sadly. There is no other way anyone could know Alpha left and Luna is still in the pack without his protection. We all know that nobody dares to enter the territory because of him. Alpha Bane is someone who haunts everyone''s nightmares, hence why he hates leaving the pack. His name and reputation is what keeps us safe. What could keep her safe."


    His words were followed by silent muttering of others, but no one dared to speak up until another voice decided to argue. "If we tell him, we''re as good as dead. Think of what will happen to Beta Zion. He was assigned to protect the Luna and while he was really trying to, someone got in. The alpha won''t be happy."


    The rest of the staff instantly jumped in and agreed with the woman''s argument. She had a point, sort of, but if I had any power here, I wouldn''t allow Bane to hurt Zion. If anything, this truly was an ident. Sure, I would rather find out more about the curse I remembered someone mentioning, but if Zion thought it was better to get me out of that situation, maybe I was better off not knowing anything.


    Or perhaps he really wanted Bane toe clean with me and tell me everything personally... Which would be the best case scenario. If there was anything I should know, I would prefer to hear it from him.


    "Nonsense," the same, deep male voice spoke over everyone. "Luna will have Beta''s back. They are friends and if anyone has any power over our Alpha, it''s her. Trust me on this one, our Luna is a very intelligent woman and she knows sometimes things happen. As much as we are trying to protect her from everything, we just can''t predict that something awful will happen. We aren''t gods."


    I wanted to smile so bad, but I managed to suppress the need. It wasn''t the praise this man was giving me about intelligence, it was the fact that he could see me for who I was. He knew I stood for what was right and did my best to protect everyone. At least someone had faith in me.


    "Alright, you are making a lot of sense," the woman who argued earlier spoke up. She sucked in a deep breath and judging by the sound she was making, I could tell she was awfully frustrated. "But what about her? Do you really think it''s better to keep our mouths shut and pretend we don''t know anything? I mean, we don''t have precise answers but we have assumptions and ideas. She will ask questions, Cole."


    A deep humm echoed against the walls and a momentter, it was reced by a sigh of defeat. "You''re right, sadly. Just like I mentioned, she''s intelligent and she asks many questions. Even if we act like we don''t know anything, she will catch on to something being off. Sooner orter, she will figure out something. If she finds out we lied or withheld information from her, Luna will never believe us again. It''s like a battle we can''t win with her on one side and the Alpha on the other." Since this conversation was going nowhere, I decided this was the right moment to let them know I was awake. Slowly, I moved my hand and blinked my eyes open, letting out a low, guttural sound, which instantly let them know my throat was dry.


    In a blink of an eye, the doctors surrounded my bed and started taking vitals, asking me questions and overall creating an unnecessary scene. Thankfully, at least one of them had enough brain power to hand me a ss of water with a straw so at least my throat didn''t feel like it was burning anymore.


    "Thank you," I whispered and smiled at the kind nurse.


    "Anytime, Luna, d to help," she beamed as she ced the ss back on the nightstand next to the bed.


    For the first few minutes, I let the doctors fuss around me until the initial panic slowly wore off and they finally managed to collect themselves enough to look like professionals, not a bunch of ser moms.


    "How are you feeling, Luna?" Asked the doctor who hadplimented me earlier.


    I smiled at him and slowly sat up in bed. "A little dizzy, but other than that, I don''t feel any pain or difort. May I know what happened? I don''t remember much."


    As expected, the doctors and nurses exchanged nces, as if they were having a silent discussion between them and the man spoke again. "Someone broke into the main house and got to you. We have no idea why this woman was here or what her goal was, all we know is that she used a sedative powder and then, Beta Zion got her."


    "What do you mean Zion got her? Did he hurt her? Where is she now?" I had a feeling I knew what they meant and I did hear a thing or two, but pretending to be clueless about it all was better in this case.


    The doctor sighed and looked at his colleagues before looking back at me. "Beta Zion got there in time, but not fast enough to hold that woman back from doing what she did. She''s in the cells right now and Beta is dealing with her. Now, we really need to do more tests to ensure the powder was only sedatives, not something that could harm you."

 127: I survived Bane.

    **Aife pov**


    After an insane amount of tests, the doctors finally backed off. At one point, I wanted to ask them if they could spare me some blood since I literally felt too light-headed after the amount they took.


    But thankfully, one of the nurses brought me tea and some snacks, iming I would feel better in an instant if I drank and ate. Perhaps it was a cebo effect, but I really did feel better after drinking tea.


    A whileter, Zion joined me in the room and brought me some clean clothes. I had no idea why he did it, but either way, I thanked him and changed into the new set. When I left the bathroom with my clothes in hand, Zion grabbed them and forced them inside a stic bag.


    As if his behavior wasn''t weird already, Zion pinched his nose shut as he was dealing with my clothes.


    "Do I stink?" I asked, eyebrows raised and arms crossed in front of my chest.


    All color drained from his face as Zion started frantically shaking his head. His eyes were wide and a look of pure panic crossed his face. Something was terribly off with the usually bubbly, foolish Beta.


    "Zion, seriously, what the hell is your damn problem? Why are you refusing to look at me and why do you keep acting as if I stink? You can deny it all you want, but I can see it, I can sense the difort you have around me." I pressed, taking a step closer to him.


    Once I took a step, Zion took one back. A little hesitant, I tried again, but nothing, the weirdo kept trying to get away from me. Frowning, I kept walking closer until Zion''s back hit the wall and his eyes widened as soon as I stopped right in front of him.


    Slowly, I raised my hand and brought it to his cheek to cup it. "Zion, you can talk to me. We are friends, remember? Whatever it is, I won''t be mad. Seriously, if I really stink just tell me and I''ll take a shower to rid you of the torture I''m bringing upon you. I don''t want to hurt my friend."


    Zion''s expression softened as tears filled his eyes. To my surprise, his bottom lip trembled as Zion dropped the stic bag with my clothes and threw his arms around me, pulling me into a bone-crushing hug.


    I wasn''t sure what was happening, but I could sense his distress, so I hugged and held him while Zion cried.


    Truth to be told, he was a weirdo, rather entric and very psychotic, but he was a genuine man with nothing but kindness in his heart. I had never seen him this upset, despite the fact that we didn''t know each other for that long, I know that Zion was a very positive and happy person.


    But now, he was aplete wreck. Crying and holding onto me as if his life would end if I disappeared. I ran my hand through his hair in an attempt to soothe him and whispered, "it''s alright. If you''re hurt, cry it out, let the pain go, set yourself free from it. It''ll all be better soon, I know it will. No matter how bad it hurts, no matter how awful it gets, better days wille. I know they will."


    I wasn''t sure if he needed my words, but I hoped they would help. One thing I knew for a fact was that I had seen awful things happen before - look at me.


    I survived the initial Bane and now, I was happy with Bane.


    I couldn''t stress that enough. The sole reason for my torment and pain now was the one reason for my happiness.


    "Shh, you need to tell me what happened," I whispered, unable to deal with my own emotions. Holding Zion and watching him break down broke my heart. I had no idea whom I needed to kill, but I knew heads would roll if someone had hurt Zion. "Tell me what happened and I will make it all better. Just tell me. Trust me," I repeated myself, silently praying the Goddess would answer my prayers.


    "It''s so dumb," Zion muttered, tears still streaming down his cheeks. "I feel like a wimp. A grown man, crying like a little freaking baby. What is wrong with me, Aife? What''s going on? Why can''t I stop crying? Are my eyes sweating?"


    I barely held back theugh that got stuck in my throat. Only Zion could assume that crying was his eyes sweating, not another proof that he was as human as all of us were and everyone had emotions.


    "I think I can give you some answers only if you tell me what caused this disease of your eyes sweating. Also, perhaps we should get you checked out since we''re at the hospital anyway. From what I know, only tears are supposed to escape your eyes, not sweat. Who knows, this might be gic," I mumbled the stupidest ideas until Zion stopped crying and startedughing at me.


    "You''re one silly woman, you know that?" He asked and released his hold on me.


    I took a step back to give him some more breathing and personal space. While he could be expecting for me to talk, I kept my mouth shut and just watched him.


    In all honesty, Zion looked like a toddler as he wiped his tears with the sleeves of his shirt and frowned.


    "What happened?" I asked after a moment, but instead of an answer, Zion took my hand in his and pulled me towards the door. "Where are you taking me? What''s going on?"


    "I will tell you everything once we get somewhere more private. This is a personal matter and I don''t want anyone to know anything about it yet." Zion exined and led me down the halls and finally, out of the hospital wing.


    By the time we climbed the stairs, we received more than plenty of curious stares and as we stood in front of the bedroom door, I was breathless, probably very red in the face.


    Zion opened the door for me, but all I did was raise an eyebrow at him. "Why our bedroom, not yours or any other ce in this massive house? I don''t think Bane will be very happy if rumours start to circte and he hears about you, spending time with me in the bedroom during his absence. You know that people talk and sometimes they don''t have anything pretty to say."


    Zionughed at my concerns and pushed me inside. "Come on, he won''t say anything. Bane is my best friend, he knows you''re my friend too. And not in a friend with benefits type of situation. As for why the bedroom," he added, closing the door behind him and locking it. "This is the only ce I could think of that could provideplete privacy for this conversation. People don''t reallye close to his bedroom, so I consider this ce as safe as a freaking bank vault." Nodding, I didn''t try to argue anymore. We sat on the edge of the bed and looked around, as if both of us were waiting for the other one to speak up. In a sense, it was true. I wanted Zion toe clean about the situation and he probably wanted me to ask questions.


    As soon as I sucked in a deep breath, preparing myself for the questioning I was about to force on him, Zion ced his hand over mine and sighed. "Promise you won''t tell anyone? This is a secret, Aife. It''s my secret and I''m trusting it with you. Promise me you won''t let my secret leave these four walls. Even if Bane begs you for answers, you won''t tell him."

 128: Luna’s honor.

    **Aife


    pov**


    A little hesitant, I swallowed and nodded, but that wasn''t enough proof for Zion to take the action for granted. He pulled his hand away, jumped to his feet and started pacing the bedroom.


    The few times he nced my way, I could see the tears brimming in his eyes, which once again, broke my heart. I didn''t want to hurt him even more than he already was. My only intention was to take that weight off his shoulders and support my friend.


    "I need a verbal agreement, Aife," Zion groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "I need you to speak up and promise me that you will keep my secret. I trust you, but I need to make sure that once I put this much trust in you, you won''t turn around and break everything. Not that I think that you would, I''m just very stressed about this, okay? So, so, so damn stressed. It''s eating me alive. Just promise."


    Wasn''t his behavior what people often called an overreaction? If Zion imed he could trust me, shouldn''t he just show me that much? But then again, I kind of understood him as well.


    If this whole mess was as big as he painted it to be... Well, it had to be. If whatever happened hit him hard enough to cry, it had to be as close to the end of the world in Zion''s books as it got. Either way, I had to suck up my attitude and act like a friend, not a judgmental ass.


    "Zion," I called out to stop his rant. Nearly instantly, he froze and turned to stare at me. I could sense the waves of unease and nervous energy radiating off him, so I slowly stood from my seat and approached him. Grabbing Zion''s hand, I raised it and locked our pinky fingers. "I promise your secret won''t leave these four walls even if someone has to torture me to get the information out of me. Even then I won''t tell anyone. You have my word."


    Zion''s bottom lip trembled as he listened and looked at our locked pinky fingers. Slowly, his gaze traveled up until our eyes met. I could see something in his. Perhaps determination?


    He stared into my eyes as if he was looking for answers I didn''t think I could have. Once he found whatever he was searching for, Zion sighed and cleared his throat. "Give me Luna''s honor word."


    The demand took me off guard. Not only because I wasn''t officially the Luna of this pack, but also because I knew that if I ever broke this promise, I would have to stand trial before the Moon Goddess after my death. Breaking a promise given under Luna''s honor was an awful crime.


    Despite the possible consequences, I agreed without a thought. "You have my word. No, sorry, I promise to keep your secret and not disclose it to anyone, regardless of the circumstances, Luna''s honor."


    All tension finally left his features. Zion suddenly looked like his usual self again, all smiles and giggles. "Okay, now sit down and listen to what I have to say. It''s pretty important so don''t interrupt me, okay?"


    I did as I was told and sat down, crossing my legs and patiently waiting on whatever he had to say. Once again, Zion started pacing the bedroom, deep in thought.


    As much as I wanted to speak up and encourage him to speak up, I held back. It wasn''t like I knew much about whatever was on his mind, but given the awful mood swings he was disying, I assumed it was bad.


    Honestly, I really wanted Bane to be here. Everything was easier with him by my side and this was his best friend who was in trouble. I could bet my head that Bane could read Zion better than anyone and would understand what was wrong from the get-go.


    Sadly for Zion, he had only me now. But, I was determined to be the best darn recement I could be. And that was exactly why I spent the next ten minutes biting my tongue and watching Zion gather his thoughts. Every time he stopped, I thought he would say something, but secondster, he returned to pacing.


    At one point, I realized we were wasting too much time. I could sit and count how seconds turned into minutes, but that wouldn''t help Zion at all. He needed to open up - for his own benefit.


    And again, damn it, again, Zion stopped just to start pacing all over. I was done.


    "Zion, I gave you what you wanted, so now, I need you to stop distracting yourself from the matter and speak up. Unless you tell me what is going on with you, I will never be able to help you. If you changed your mind about talking, you need to tell me as much. I really wouldn''t mind some time to rest and now, all you''re doing is just walking around like a crazy person."


    My words seemed to work, because for once, he just stopped and stared. I didn''t expect him to just drop the bomb on me, but in true Zion''s fashion, he did just that. "My mate is about to reject me."


    Saying he caught me off guard would be an understatement. Zion just stopped the entire from spinning just with his words alone.


    "E-excuse me?" I stuttered. I had to heard something wrong. Yeah, that was the case. I overheard him.


    "Gosh, Aife, are you listening? I just told you my mate is about to reject me. That''s why I cried like a damn baby. She''s about to toss me in the trash like a second-hand rug or some shit. Call me Mister Used Condom now, because she''s discarding my ass without getting to know me. Well, it''s not like anyone tries to get to know a condom before they use it, but that''s beyond the point."


    I stared at him in pure disbelief. I wasn''t sure what was worse - the fact that Zion had an imaginary mate which was about to reject him or the fact that he was calling himself a used condom.


    If this wasn''t a wake-up call for me about how insatiable Zion was, I didn''t know what it was. As soon as Bane woulde home, I would bring this up and figure out how we could get Zion in therapy.


    Seeing my confusion, Zion groaned and started pacing the bedroom again. "I''m not joking. I''m also not losing my mind, but to be fair, I wish it was the damn case. The woman that attacked you, she''s my mate."


    Okay, the really did stop spinning. I was sure that was the case. No way in hell was that old woman his mate. I refused to believe it.


    "She''s not old," Zion added, as if he could read my mind. "Definitely not old. She''s a cat of sorts, she has those freaky eyes and insane hatred for werewolves. I went down to the cells to figure out why she snuck in and attacked you and then I lost the trail of thoughts because I realized she''s my mate. That''s why I was gagging because of the smell on your clothes. It''s her scent. I''m trying to get over her before the rejection happens, you know."


    Thest words were merely a whisper, but those were enough for me to feel every emotion that was surging through Zion. He wasn''t lying. He waspletely serious. Shit, Zion was serious.

 129: He didn’t lie.

    **K


    pov**


    Next time, if that woulde, when the Coven would ask me to do something, I would think twice. No, scratch that, I would think five, if not more times. No way would I jump into a task like I did today ever again. The task failed. All I wanted was to sneak in and see for myself if the rumors were true. And boy, were they. Also, the power I blew in her face wouldn''t harm that woman. It was supposed to knock her out for a bit until I got out. But of course, she had to alert the rabid dog and that asshole threw me into the cells. I wouldn''t mind spending time here if it weren''t for the newfound discovery. I didn''t want a mate, especially not a dog.


    The only thing I could do down here was to listen to the stupid guards or sleep. Thankfully, dog guards weren''t half as bad as cats - at least they didn''t try to touch me inappropriately. Maybe it was because of the dog mate, but I didn''t hear him warn anyone, so I wrote this down as the only good thing about the fleabags.


    After what felt like an eternity, I caught on a scent of food. The guards were bringing the prisoners their meals and having pleasant conversations with them. It was odd to see. All those people who were rotting here formitting one crime or another were treated like.. people?


    By the time the guard stopped at my cell, my stomach was growling loud enough for me to be mistaken for one of their own.


    "Hey there, darling. Today, we are offering porridge if you prefer that, and as sides it has fruits or yogurt. The second option is mushroom soup and chicken tenders with some potatoes and gravy. You can get them all if you want to. Oh, and water or juice. I''m not sure if we''re supposed to offer this, but you can get milk too."


    The guard was an older man with a kind smile across his lips. He stood at my cell while the other guards brought food to other prisoners.


    "I-" He started and cleared his throat. "I can try the food if you don''t trust it, but that probably won''t help. Beta Zion mentioned you''re a cat, but we''re not sure what kind of cat so we don''t know if there is any food you''re not supposed to eat," he mumbled.


    Clearly, he was very ufortable and my silence didn''t help the situation either.


    Just as he opened his mouth to say more, a gentle voice of a woman echoed against the walls. "That will be all, Christopher. I''ll take this over. Keep in mind she is a young woman, surrounded by scary-looking guards, the poor thing is scared." "Apologies, my Luna," the guard grinned, looking straight in the direction of the voice.


    For most part, I had seen dogs bow to each other, especially for the Lunas, so witnessing this chit-chatty, friendly behavior between them was something new. Never had I thought it was possible.


    "Don''t mention it. You can return to your friends and have another card game," she encouraged the guard. As soon as she stepped into my view, the Luna leaned a little closer to the guard and whispered, "be careful, they''re looking at your cards and discussing ways to take the winner title from you. Don''t let those cheaters win."


    The guardughed and ced his hand on her shoulder, "see, that''s why we love you so much. Honest and kind to the bone. Call me if you need me, okay?"


    As soon as the guard left, the Luna turned her attention to me and frowned. She didn''t look happy to see me, not even a bit.


    Tilting her head to the side, she stepped closer to the cell door and kept staring. I felt like she put a spotlight on me and she could see every little imperfection about me. And I happened to know far too many of those.


    Deep down, I knew that as soon as she would notice how weird I was, she would kick me out of here and I would have to return to the Coven and keep working for the witches until the day I died. There was no way I could survive in the wild alone. Ever.


    "So he didn''t lie," the Luna hummed, eyes still glued on me.


    When I gulped, the sound echoed in the cells, making my cheeks burn bright red. "Wha-" I tried to talk, but my throat was so dry, I couldn''t force out even one word.


    "Oh Goddess, I''m so stupid, sorry. Water?" She asked as she grabbed a bottle from the food trolley and raised it up.


    I nodded my head.The Luna looked over her shoulder and shouted, "Christopher, could you please unlock the cell for me?"


    My eyes widened in pure shock. This woman was foolish enough to provide me with an easy escape just like that? What was wrong with her? Where were her survival and protective instincts?


    The older guard ran down the hall, handed Luna the key, grinned and left without a word. It seemed that everyone in this pack trusted her so much, they didn''t question her decisions.


    Slowly, she unlocked the cell and opened it. Then, to my utter surprise, she walked inside and handed me the bottle of water. To make this meeting even weirder, she didn''t hesitate to turn her back on me and leave the cell... but she didn''t leave itpletely. Instead, she pulled the food trolley inside the cell and checked the contents. "Did you decide on your meal already?" She asked, smiling at me as if we were best friends.


    I opened the bottle and gulped down the water as if I had been denied of having any for years while the Luna casually made me two tes of food while humming a melody under her breath.


    As soon as I was done with the water, I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt and spoke up. "What did you mean? Who is he and about what he didn''t lie?"


    "Oh," she giggled. "Zion, the pack''s Beta. He said you''re the prettiest little thing he had ever seen, so I came here to see you for myself. Sometimes, he tends to overreact, especially when he''s high on emotions, but this time, he''s being very truthful."


    As she spoke, she handed me a te of food and to my surprise, took one for herself too. Luna sat right next to me and started eating, "you should eat before it gets cold. Just because you''re a prisoner doesn''t mean we will treat you like trash." She added as casually as if she spoke about the weather.


    I couldn''t help but chuckle at her words. "Not scared I will run out of here?"


    "Nope," she shook her head. "The whole ce is packed with guards and I''m pretty sure my boyfriend, I mean the Alpha, will be home soon too. Thest thing you would want is to run into him. Now, enjoy your food and once we''re done, we will have a heart to heart conversation about how much you''re hurting my best friend."


    Despite the soft tone she was using, cold shivers ran down my spine and a sense of dread washed over me. I had managed to get myself into a massive mess.

 130: Fated strangers.

    **Zion pov** Entering the hospital wing to check on Aife, thest thing I assumed I could do was break down like a child and cry in her arms.


    I had never been a man who was scared of showing his emotions, but these days, I feared that emotions could be viewed as weakness. Not among the pack members, but whoever has been passing the information to someone who shouldn''t know it.


    And at this point, it seemed that I wasn''t the only one who thought there was an actual rat in our pack, pretending to be an ally while working for the damn enemies.


    As soon as I would find the fucker, I would boil him or her in gasoline and then peel their skin off while they were still alive. If I had to, I would keep them on life support just to force the traitors to live through the pain.


    The only problem was that no matter how much I wanted to get rid of the anger I felt, I also couldn''t stop thinking about the pretty little thing back in the cells. What if she was cold? Did the guards feed her? Would she really reject me just because I''m not one of hers?


    Life was a prettyplicated thing. Never before had I hated being who I was as much as I hated it now. If only I wasn''t another werewolf, maybe she would ept me. Funny how before finding her I never worried about rejection. Well, I also didn''t think I had a mate but that was a story for another day.


    "Zion, will you ever talk? I admit, I thought you were joking at first, but seeing how truthful and frantic you are, I really don''t have any other choice but to believe your words. However, if you keep zoning out like that, I don''t think there''s anything I can help you with," Aife''s voice broke me out of the weird daze.


    Shaking my body back to senses I looked at her and tried my hardest not to appear weak. This wasn''t easy for me, it truly wasn''t, so finding the right words proved to be challenging.


    "I don''t know what to say," I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. In reality, I had so much to say, but none of those words felt like the right ones.


    Did Aife want me to proim my love for the woman whose name I didn''t even know? Or did she want me to tell her that I couldn''t be bothered if the pretty little thing rejected me?


    I would be fucking bothered. Pain be damned, that didn''t worry me - losing her did. It was stupid how fast we fell in love with the one the Moon Goddess had chosen for us, really, but I truly loved the woman without a name. Okay, she most likely had a name, I just wasn''t smart enough to ask her what it was.


    "First things first. Why do you think she is going to reject you?" Aife, the voice of reason, jumped to her feet and started pacing the bedroom the same as I did earlier.


    No wonder she wanted me to stop, just looking at her made my damn head spin so fast, I nearly passed out. It was crazy how the actions of others really affected everyone. Stupid, yes, but true.


    "Well, I believe that her words were pretty telling. She said I had to get out of her sight so she could figure out how to reject me," I exined.


    Aife instantly stopped to stare at me wide eyed. Her jaw nearly hit the floor. "No, she didn''t," Aife gasped.


    It was pretty nice to see the disbelief on her face, almost made me feel like a real catch - someone who wouldn''t be rejected by their fated mate. Too bad it wasn''t the case and I happened to live in the opposite reality where mine wanted to do just that.


    "Yes, she did. Not to mention her obvious dislike of werewolves in general. I''m not sure if the rejection ising because of who I am or because I threw her in the cells, but either way, I guess I need to get ready for the fateful moment that woman will break my heart." As soon as I exined more, a bitter chuckle left me.


    I didn''t want to believe this was my life, but sadly, there wasn''t much I could change.


    "What can you tell me about her?" The sudden question caught me off guard.


    There wasn''t really much I could say other than a few things about the woman I noticed. It wasn''t like we grew up in one pack or went to the same school. Before this day, we had never met, so we were nothing but fated strangers. Sadly, I didn''t have much hope we could ever be more than just that.


    "She''s the prettiest little thing I''ve ever seen. At first, she appears so frail and weak, like someone you want to hold close to you and protect forever. But then, there are her freaky cat eyes, so full of courage and anger, you can''t look away. I don''t know much about her. Feisty, yeah, she''s feisty too."


    As I told Aife everything about the woman who had stolen my heart without wanting the damn thing in the first ce, I couldn''t help but grin like an idiot.


    If she ever gave me a chance. If only she could tolerate me for a couple of days, I could prove to her just how good I could be. I would kiss the ground she walked on, all she had to do was ask. I would seriously go above and beyond to please her, to ensure all of her needs were met. Literally anything she wanted.


    "Holy shit," Aife whispered and instantly pped her hands over her mouth. She wasn''t one to curse out loud so the reaction was pretty expected.


    "Holy shit, what, Luna?" I teased her, getting a little closer and wiggling my eyebrows just to get on her nerves a little.


    Aife dropped her hands and rolled her eyes. "Don''t tell anyone I cursed, but this situation is pretty fitting for spitting out some words I wouldn''t use on a day to day basis, okay?"


    Great, now she was trying to distract me so she wouldn''t have to exin her reaction. Nope, I couldn''t let that happen. Taking another step closer and crossing my arms in front of my chest, I red at Aife.


    She, the same as my nameless mate, looked tiny and frail, but shit, did these women have fighting spirit and anger issues burning in their eyes. I literally felt like Aife could explode like a ticking time bomb if only I got too close.


    "Exin your reaction. I won''t let you leave or rest until you do. And don''t give me the generic bullshit answers you''re used to giving everyone. I want you to be truthful with me, like a real friend would be."


    Aife looked around me, clearly focusing on the bedroom door and most likelying up with an escape n. "Don''t even think about it," I growled.


    She shed me the widest shit-eating grin and spoke. "She has you wrapped around her finger. Now move, fatso, I need to get to the cells so I can meet my new best friend. You''ve been reced."

 131: Get the runt out.

    **Killian


    pov**


    Could I kill my future inws and get away with it? Could I skin them alive or perhaps spare them the pain and simply hang them without any consequences. Would my little bride have a mental breakdown if she learned that I killed her family? Nah, I didn''t think so. Clearly, she didn''t have a breakdown when she thought that fucker Bane had killed them. But wait... Did she know they were still alive? If she didn''t, I could get rid of them without raising any suspicions. And after I would get my bride back, I could simply stick to the scenario of Bane being the cause of all her hurt and misfortunes. Even if he told her otherwise, I was sure she would believe me more than someone who had ughtered her entire pack and blew up her childhood home.


    "Killian? Are you in there?" Salem waved her hand in front of my face as if I was some stupid statue for her to make fun of.


    I caught her wrist and squeezed it until she hissed in pain. "What have I told you about getting in my fucking personal space, witch?" I forced the words through gritted teeth.


    This magic bitch was seriously thinking that I needed her, but I wouldn''t move a muscle if she were to die. If anyone set the woman on fire, I wouldn''t piss on her to take the fire out, let alone spit on her.


    Honestly, I hated witches, I hated them all with passion, even more after I learned that they sent a runt of a cat pack to Bane''s territory, not someone who had experience with magic. Just to make the matters worse, the runt hadn''t returned, which had to mean that she was imprisoned there.


    "Okay, I''m sorry, just let go of me before your ws add more damage. There''s no need to be this damn emotional about everything. I just tried to get your attention so you would listen to what I was saying. Keep in mind that my sisters and I are helping you, not the other way around."


    The anger in her voice amused me. So much so that I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her body flush against mine. Then, I leaned down and stole a quick, but passionate kiss, leaving the witch breathless.


    "I would be careful, if I were you. Especially about how you are talking to me, darling. Remember that only one wolf has the knowledge about where your little illegal Coven is located and your fate is in my hands. Fuck this up and see what I can do," I grinned and released her.


    Salem backed away until her back hit the wall. She refused to look at me, the same as she had done many times before, showing off how temperamental and proud the witch was.


    "We need to get the runt out," she whispered.


    "I couldn''t give two fucks about the runt. What makes you think that I would help you?" I couldn''t help butugh at her boldness.


    The witches had a habit of assuming that I would care. Which, by the way, was as far from the truth as possible. I only cared if the matters concerned myself or my bride. That woman was the key for my future, for the power and wealth I could gain if only I got my hands on her. It was safe to say I cared about her. But only about her.


    "Killian, I care about her. K won''t be able to survive or find her way back home. You don''t understand, she''s a special kitty, she''s mine and I love her." Salem kept pressing the issue.


    I still couldn''t understand why she was so attached to that damaged thing. The other witches in her Coven were smart women, they were the same as me and didn''t care about what could be happening to the little cat, but Salem was different. Honestly, she had always been different. Too kind andpassionate for a true witch. She took in that runt a year ago, I still could remember how she ran to me for help in return for future favor.


    Well, because of that one time she asked for help, Salem was now stuck with me and had to serve my needs until I agreed she had done enough.


    "Favor for favor, Salem. Are you ready to go down that road all over again, even though you haven''t repaid the previous debt yet?" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms in front of my chest, expecting a ''no'' I was sure woulde. "Yes. K is special. I told you, she won''t be able to find her way home and there is no way she would survive out in the wild. I believe in her abilities, she will get out of that pack of horrors, but once she steps over that border, she''s on her own. The kitty doesn''t have ws, that''s why she was banished from her pack, Killian. They took her ws and threw her out like trash, I won''t do the same!" Salem kept arguing, finally turning her head and meeting my gaze.


    Salem was one foolish woman. Stupid even. But despite that, I had to admit that I admired her fighting spirit and how far she was willing to go for those she truly loved or cared for. "Okay," I sighed. "Let''s assume I''m willing to help. In that imaginary scenario, what would you want me to do?"


    Salem''s eyes widened as she stared at me in disbelief. "I can''t believe someone as smart as you can''t put two and two together, Killian. I want you to get her out of there, obviously."


    Her words and tone sent me over the edge, so I startedughing. Loud. It took me quite a while to catch my breath and get rid of the need tough even more. "I can''t believe someone as smart as you can be this stupid, Salem," I mocked her. She seemed deep in thoughts for a few seconds and then, her eyes turnedpletely white. One of the witches wasmunicating with her, and I instantly knew what to do.


    Taking two, long steps, I reached Salem and wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her body against mine while hers slowly went limp and the convulsions started. Over time, I had learned this was a side effect tomunication some witches had with one another, mainly those outside Coven''s. If two women didn''t belong to one Coven, the stupidmunication thing was awfully painful.


    As I held her body as steady as I could, a loud, ear-piercing scream left Salem''s lips and her eyes closed. Her body instantly wentpletely limp in my arms, so I just stood there and waited until she woulde to her senses. Usually, it didn''t take longer than a minute, but since Salem wasn''t waking up and it felt like her body was still slightly trembling, I knew that whoever contacted her had to be from somewhere far, far away.


    When she did open her eyes, all anger left me and I smiled at the weakened witch. "Wee back, darling. Should I get you something?"


    Salem''s eyes widened and she shook her head. I frowned. Oftentimes, after experiences like this one, she wanted a ss of water or some chocte, so the instant refusal was pretty unusual.


    But when her lips parted and no sound left them, I grew a little worried. It took me a moment to realize that she was whispering, her voice was there, but barely, repeating something. I leaned closer and forced my ear close to her mouth to hear her whisper, "the King. He''sing. He''s getting closer!"

 132: He’s a dog.

    **K pov**


    I tried to eat, but every bit of food got stuck in my throat, that was how darn nervous I was. The woman that sat next to me held a lot of power in this pack, so technically, she could also decide what happened to me next. For all I knew, she could be a very spiteful person, pretending to be friendly. If that was the case, she could easily arrange my execution without batting an eye.


    When everything was too much and my heart started beating so fast, I could hear the pounding in my ears, I set the te of food aside and pulled my knees to my chest. "Are you going to send me to a death row?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.


    My words surprised the Luna so much, she choked on a piece of food she was chewing. Her eyes filled with tears as she coughed and fanned herself.


    The next moment, guards appeared in front of the cell, looking at me like they were, in fact, about to murder me for asking a simple question. This was so unfair...


    "Luna, are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" The older man asked as he stepped inside the cell.


    The Luna raised her hand to hold him at distance and coughed two more times before she spoke again, "I''m fine, you shouldn''t worry about me. My new friend, over here, decided to tell me a joke just as I was swallowing my food so this is the result. Could we please get our privacy back, gentlemen?"


    I had no idea what it was, but I was amazed by this woman. Truthfully amazed. The way she carried herself, the way she spoke, acted and treated everyone, it was something I hadn''t seen before.


    My witch, Salem, imed she loved me. But she did it when she whipped me every time I did something she disapproved of.


    Shivers ran down my spine as the memory of thest time assaulted me. Thirty times. No breaks, no mercy, thirty deep cuts over my back and then, I came to my senses in Salem''s arms as she whispered how much she loved me. Perhaps I was wired differently and couldn''t really tell bad from good, but I had a feeling that what she did wasn''t something anyone could do out of love.


    A nudge to my side startled me so much, I jumped and screamed. My body was reacting to the sudden contact, but as fast as the panic overtook me, it left me.


    Surprisingly, all because of the warm, soft hand on my shoulder, gently rubbing the skin. "I''m so sorry, I didn''t mean to startle you sweetheart. I''m truly sorry." The Luna whispered, clearly worried about my reaction.


    That took me off guard even more. Why was she apologizing to me? No one ever did...


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t ask for your name. My name is Aife, it''s nice to meet you," she suddenly smiled and offered me her hand.


    Okay, this interaction was getting weirder with every minute passing. A woman of high rank, great power, was introducing herself to me as if she wanted to be my friend. And not only that, she offered me only her name, without insisting to add Luna in front of this.


    This was either a great n to get under my skin, or.. Or she really was a kind woman and didn''t think of herself as anyone higher than others. I had a hard time believing thetter, especially because I didn''t know her yet, but maybe that could be possible.


    After all, it wasn''t like I had met many people in my way. I knew cats and hated them. I knew witches and while they were pretty barbaric, they weren''t as bad as cats, so that was that. All my experience in a few words.


    My hand shook as I took hers, but I still epted the handshake. "My name is K," I whispered, doing my best to avoid her gaze. I knew what wasing - ridicule. That was the reaction everyone had to my stupid name.


    For some twisted reason, everyone I met knew that my name meant ''art'', so they used it against me and mostly called me ''painting'' or ''brush''. It was so stupid and annoying, but others found great pleasure in it. "Wow, that''s such a pretty name. I haven''t heard it before, but it''s so unique. Wow, I love it. Zion would love it too, if only you told him," the Luna announced and winked at me.


    My cheeks instantly started burning. I didn''t want to talk about that guy. Wait, no, I wanted to. I needed to find out how the rejection was supposed to happen. I had heard about it, but never witnessed it happening and really had no idea what one was supposed to say to get rid of the unwanted person. "You wanted to talk about something, right?" I tried to distract her, but I didn''t have much hope that it would work.


    "Zion. Your mate. The man you told you are about to reject. The big, scary-looking teddy bear of a person who cried in my arms but still didn''t protest your decision, no matter how much he doesn''t want to ept it. The same man who thinks it''s unfair for you to jump to conclusions without giving him a chance to prove himself, but instead of voicing his opinion, he leaves to suffer in silence. Yes, I think this is something I would like to talk about," she spoke calmly, as if she wasn''t angry or irritated with me.


    Was that another of her tactics to ensure I felt safe before she sent down the guillotine?


    "You don''t understand," I muttered and looked down at my feet, focusing on them and silently willing for the damn things to somehow set off on fire to get out of here.


    "But I could understand if only you exined why you decided to give up on a gift of a mate, a good one if I may add, without giving him a chance to prove himself." She kept insisting.


    "He''s a dog," I snarled.


    "And so am I. Does that make me a bad person? Does the fact that I''m what you call ''a dog'' make me any less than others? You know we can''t really choose who we will be after we are born, right?" Her words made sense, but I didn''t want to ept them. "Cats and dogs don''t mix. He will hurt me."


    Theugh that left her was dripping in nothing but disbelief and amusement. She wasughing so loud, some of the prisoners joined in andughed along with her. By the time she calmed down and wiped the tears off her cheeks, she was red in the face.


    "I can''t believe you. You don''t know him. All you do is assume. I can''t judge you, I know nothing about your past and traumas, but I got some news for you, K - sometimes, even when someone hurts us so deeply, we don''t think we could forgive them, the same person brings so much happiness you can''t contain it."


    Anger burned within me. How dare she give me lectures from her high ce. She was another woman, sitting on her throne and ying favorites after all.


    "As if you know anything about pain and hardships, Luna," I spat at her.


    Finally, I managed to shut her up. Not for long, though. Slowly, she got back to her feet and walked to the food trolley. I watched how she pulled the thing out of the cell and returned to collect the dishes. Once she was done, she spun around and faced me.


    "For your information, yeah, I believe it''s safe to say I know a thing or two about pain or hardships. Maybe in your mind or experience what I experienced myself isn''t even half as bad as your life, but my entire pack was in in front of my eyes, my house blown up and the pack burned to the ground. All of that and torture that followed. And guess what?" She closed the cell and locked it before adding, "all of that was done by the man I fell in love with. The one and only, Alpha Bane."

 133: People who rescue strays.

    **Bane


    pov**


    "So, what is our next step? Where to?" Chris asked, clearly enthusiastic about what the future held for him.


    I wouldn''t mind apanion, but I couldn''t forgive myself if I pulled an innocent boy into my mess. I really hoped my n could work out and he would just go with it. "There is no such thing as our next step. My next step, yeah, that''s a thing, but ours isn''t happening," I spoke loudly enough for Chris to understand I wasn''t messing around.


    His eyes widened, just slightly, and mouth opened, but before he could start trying to call the shots, I shook my head and raised my hand to stop him.


    "Listen, I would prefer it if you returned to my pack. I will alert my Beta and Luna about your arrival and they will take care of you. Food, shelter, clothing, even separate housing if you want that. Just agree to go there and let me deal with this bullshit alone."


    Chris started shaking his head. The poor boy was too stuck in his delusion to understand how dangerous everything was about to be. He had to understand that I wouldn''t allow him to stay simply to ensure he remained as safe as one could be.


    "But I want to help. And besides, I have vast knowledge about this territory, I will lead you wherever you want to go. Trust me, I''m a great help. I won''t get in your way, I promise to keep my thoughts to myself if that bothers you. I really want to help, that''s all."


    One thing I admired about him was how determined Chris was. On top of that, he really seemed to do everything to fight for what was right. However, as admirable as his qualities were, I couldn''t just agree to risk his life as if it didn''t mean anything.


    I wanted for him to reunite with his mother and enjoy life, not live under someone''s rule as if they weren''t people. They could do that in my pack. I would dly take in someone as hard-working and trustworthy as Chris. I was sure the boy could get far if only he put his mind to his goal and focused.


    But to ensure his safety, I had to work smart and trick him a little. Smiling at his expectant face I shook my head. "I still think it''s best if you leave and go to my pack. Get a hold of your mother and ensure she joins you. If you really want to be of use, I will assign you as a personal bodyguard to my Luna."


    His eyes widened, but now, I could also see an unfamiliar spark dancing in them. Something just got the boy extremely excited, but I couldn''t pin-point what I had said to make him feel like this. Was it the fact that I was offering a ce for his mother too?


    "Sorry if I seem a little too giddy, but I''m so happy to hear you have found your Luna. Never thought that you would actually ept a woman as yours. Don''t get me wrong, you''re like a prime example of an Alpha, but you know, rumors do travel faster than wind," Chris exined and ginned.


    As much as I wanted to roll my eyes at his foolishness, I couldn''t deny that he was right. At least sort of. After my previous experience, I never thought that a woman could make me feel like Aife did.


    Honestly, Aife was one of a kind. She made me feel so much more than any woman before, even the woman I thought I was madly in love with. Aife was special, she felt right, she felt like home, and with her, I was ready to travel to the end of the world.


    Now that I had her, I couldn''t imagine my life without her anymore. "Yeah," I chuckled. "She''s a special one, that''s all I''m willing to share with you for now."


    "Understandable. Anyway, I will go to your pack if you are serious about taking in me and my mom, but only after we deal with whatever your mission is. I pulled you out of there knowing I might be responsible for you. It''s a stupid example, but the same mindset is seen with people who rescue strays. You take it off the streets so you''re responsible." Chris exined his stance to his best ability.


    "So I''m a stray now?" I asked, no amusementcing my words. I didn''t mean them, at all. In fact, I was struggling to keep my face as straight as possible. A little joking around never hurt anyone.


    As expected, Chris panicked. "I-. No, I would never. I couldn''t. You''re my hero. Seriously, if I had to choose between you and any other superhero, I would always choose you. I didn''t mean my words in an offensive manner, I just tried to exin myself. Goddess, this came out so wrong."


    Before he could lose his mindpletely, my resolve cracked and I startedughing. So loud, myugh echoed against the walls of the cave and I had to p my hand over my mouth not to catch unneeded attention. We still faced the risk of the Council guards and warriors being out there, looking for us.


    "Shit, you were joking," Chris gasped. "I would never have taken you as someone who joked around orughed. Wow, this is unbelievable."


    "I wasn''t a jokester before, you can thank my woman for helping me to loosen up. She''s responsible for this work of art," I chuckled and slowly stood up.


    My body was pulsating in pain. Everywhere. I hurt even in ces I didn''t know I could hurt. It was so odd, but despite the sensations and the weakness of my muscles, I knew I had to move forward. If I didn''t, I would lose more time and that, in turn, would give Council an upper hand. The longer we stayed around here, the bigger the risk of being caught.


    "So? What is our next destination then?" Chris was one tough cookie. He didn''te across as someone who would give up on their ns and as much as I didn''t like that trait right now, I still respected him for it.


    "I need to see the Lycan King. He''s the only one who holds power over the High Council, so in this situation, he''s the only one who can help me," I exined as I started walking closer to the cave opening.


    "I assume you don''t want to die, so you''ll seek shelter with him?" Chris asked, following right behind me.


    His question made meugh again. "The only person who doesn''t want me dead is my Luna. I couldn''t care less if I had to die, but she would never forgive me if I did. As for why I need to see him again, if this shit was only about me, I would ignore it. But it''s not about me anymore, they threatened my woman and that is the type of bullshit I refuse to put up with. They won''t get away with that shit."


    After a moment of silence, Chris hummed. "Understood. I guess you''re in luck then."


    ncing over my shoulder, I looked at him and raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you mean?"


    Chris beamed. "Before I got you out of the chamber of torture, I overheard a few councilmen discussing the King. They mentioned he''s leaving the castle and visiting the packs. I suppose the best course of action will be to visit a pack that is one of the first on his list."

 134: Sounds perfect.

    **Aife


    pov**


    One thing that was equal to K''s beauty was her stubbornness. As much as it annoyed me, I couldn''t me the girl. I had a feeling that she had gone through hell and back to develop an attitude as such. K was very snappy, but I saw it as a form of defense mechanism, not a need to hurt someone.


    Perhaps, if I tried a little harder, I could get her to open up to me ande clean with her deepest fears and then, I could figure something out... But the facts remained facts - no one trusted a stranger, especially not so much to tell them an entire life story. That would be stupid.


    But now, while a part of me really wanted to stay with K and try to speak to her more, the other, logical one, knew that I was too tired to deal with everything on my own. I needed Zion to step up and do his part in this whole mess. So, without overthinking the situation, I shed K the brightest smile I could muster and stepped away from the cell door. "I need some rest, I''m sure you understand. I find it difficult to focus on the conversation, so I will send your mate down there and it would really help me if you could tell him what exactly was the powder that knocked me out. I might be allergic."


    As soon as I mentioned a possible allergy, K''s face drained of color and mouth opened so much, a little more and she could kiss the ground without bending down.


    "You have allergies? But you''re a wolf shifter, you don''t have allergies," K insisted.


    I was sure she was a bright girl, but darn, it seemed that she had trouble using that brain power when it mattered. Shaking my head, I exined further. "I haven''t met my wolf yet. About to turn twenty-one, so until my birthday, I am as human as they get. So yes, K, I have allergies. Loads of them."


    With that being said, I turned around and walked away to find Zion.


    I wanted to pull K out of those cells, but it was clear even for a fool that she was a flight risk. While that was an actual fact, I couldn''t figure out why she would try to up and leave, especially after finding out that she had a mate in this pack. A mate who was desperate to take care of her, love her and ensure every need was met. Zion could be the goofiest man in the whole universe, but I could see it in his eyes - if he loved, he loved hard.


    K, however, was a different scenario. She was very timid and clearly struggled if someone showed her kindness. That much I noticed back in the cells when I tried to apologize. My words were like a trigger for her.


    Hopefully, Zion could manage to get to her and figure out what she had experienced, if she had suffered or if she had a post traumatic stress disorder. Shifters had that too, so checking on her mental well-being couldn''t hurt too much. Or could it?


    The main worry for me was that she could assume we were holding her there to force her into a rtionship with Zion. Knowing him, he would rather set her free than watch her suffer, but only K knew what was going on in her mind. For once, luck was on my side and as soon as I stepped in the living room, I found Zion. Maybe I shouldn''t say I was lucky as the poor thing was sitting on the couch, sobbing, but at least I found him. "Zion?" I called his name as gently as I could.


    As soon as he realized he wasn''t alone, Zion shot to his feet and turned his back to me. I could see him wiping the tears as he attempted to gather himself and it truly broke everything within me. He was too good to be treated like this. Sadly, K didn''t know that. In fact, she didn''t know anything about Zion and hence why she was acting so cold. If only she gave him a chance... Just one.


    "Sorry, I needed some time alone," he whispered, his back still turned to me. The poor thing didn''t even try to turn around and look at me. It was truly heartbreaking to see him hide his pain like this. "I just... I can''t understand why. I mean look at you, after everything Bane did to you, after all that pain he caused, you still gave him a chance to fix his wrongdoings. But I... I haven''t done anything. Why does she hate me so much? I could be so good, Aife, I swear, I could be so good to her."


    "Zion, sweetheart, it''s not your fault. I think she''s scared, possibly very hurt. Something is off about that girl, I think someone hurt her very badly. You should try to talk to her. Maybe she will give you a chance," I whispered, unsure if any of my words could help him cope.


    I really hoped I would have the answers we all clearly needed, but I had none. As much as I believed Zion deserved nothing but the best, K didn''t know him like all of us did. For her, he was a scary stranger and possibly a threat. "I can''t go down there again. She will reject me the moment she sees me. Just give me some time to ept the thought and I will go down there. Maybe a day or two to prepare is all I''m asking for."


    Slowly, I walked closer to him and ced my hand on his shoulder. "I might be wrong, but I think she might give you a chance. K is a smart girl, she will figure out how good you are and how much you want to make her happy. Trust me. You deserve a chance but so does her."


    As soon as I was finished, Zion spun around on his heel, beaming at me as if he wasn''t crying just minutes ago. "K? Her name is K? Wow, how pretty is that. Not only is she the prettiest little thing but her name alsopliments her. Wow, just wow. Imagine how good we would be together. K and Zion. Sounds perfect, doesn''t it?"


    Only now, I remembered that he didn''t know her name. If the tiny detail was enough to make him this happy, Zion really was someone easy to please.


    "I think you two could be good together, yes. You wouldplement each other and she could teach you something while you can teach her how to be stronger. Seriously, Zion, I think you should man up and go down there to have an actual conversation with your mate. Fighting and hiding has never helped anyone. You said it yourself, I gave a chance to Bane, but only because we learned how tomunicate. Without propermunication even friendships don''tst, let alone rtionships between two adults."


    Zion nodded sharply and leaned down to peck my cheek. "Thank you, my Luna, you truly are a miracle. A blessing to a pack of heathens. Now go and get some rest, I''ll go talk to my mate."

 135: Flowers and gold.

    **K


    pov**


    After the Luna left, I didn''t know how to feel. The guards didn''t approach my cell and they didn''t seem too eager to provide any sort of entertainment to their prisoners.


    It was only me, myself and I. Oh, and my thoughts, those were even worse. My main issues weren''t connected to the whole imprisonment problem, those were thoughts about my past, rights, wrongs and the Luna''s words during our parting. How a woman could forgive someone after they hurt her so much, took everything from her and even more, was beyond me.


    No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn''t figure it out. Even as I tried to look at all angles of the issue, I still couldn''te up with a decent exnation of this issue.


    Maybe I could try to sleep a little and after I woke up, my mind coulde up with a solution as to how to get out of here? That could be possible...


    As Iid on the cold ground, I almost started regretting rejecting the offer to get out of here. That man, Zion I believed was his name, offered to move me to his house.


    Honestly, if I wouldn''t know how people sometimes were, I might have agreed and taken his offer. But sadly, my experience showed that everyone who offered me something always wanted one thing or another back as a payment.


    Thest thing I wanted was to be his maid, or even worse, a ve of a sort. Possibly even sexual if he turned out to be a creep or something. No, that wasn''t the risk I was willing to take.


    As I closed my eyes, I could hear amotion in the distance but didn''t pay much attention to it until I heard steps nearing my cell and stopping right in front of it. Then, someone unlocked the cell door and opened it.


    I didn''t bother to open my eyes as I knew it had to be the Luna,ing back to give me more lectures about her experience and wisdom.


    However, when someone sat down next to me and ced their warm palm on my cheek, shivers ran down my spine and tingles appeared everywhere where our skin touched. It was him.


    "Wake up, beautiful, I came here to talk. And I mean seriously talk. No arguments, no shouting or fighting, no anger and insults. Nothing like that at all." He whispered.


    I was pretty sure he knew I wasn''t really asleep, that was why he whispered and didn''t try to shake me awake. My assumption was proved to be right when he spoke up again. "I know you''re not sleeping, K."


    Goddess, why did my name sound so darn good when he said it? I hated my name, despised the memories that surrounded it, but somehow, he managed to make it sound and feel so much better.


    This had to be a trick created by the mate bond, nothing else. I had seen a few cases of mates bingpletely crazy for each other even if they hated one another''s guts before they found out about the bond. It was a very powerful connection, one I wasn''t sure if I wanted to have and experience.


    Being connected with someone like this meant the person gave their full trust to someone they basically didn''t even know. Someone, who was a stranger with unclear intentions.


    And as many times I had seen the mate bond change people, I had also seen the damage it might cause. Not everyone felt as strongly as others did and oftentimes, they didn''t think of the consequences when they decided to cheat on their mates. I had heard that was the worst pain known to anyone.


    "K, please," he spoke again, startling me.


    Since I didn''t open my eyes and didn''t answer, he sighed and pulled his hand away. I instantly missed the warm,forting touch, but I could also feel the tension and frustration radiate off him.


    "Fine, if you refuse to talk, I will. Just listen to me then. I''m really trying here. Opening up to someone, showing them your weaknesses and voicing the fears is pretty damn scary. Seriously, it''s very scary." He let out a deep, heavy sigh as if he was trying to ground himself for something bigger toe.


    At this point, I really wanted to sit up and watch him. I knew it was very selfish of me, but I liked to look at him. This man was a work of art, very handsome, in fact, the most handsome man I had ever seen, but he also was a dog so that threw me off.


    My parents were killed by wolf shifters, so I didn''t want to trust them. It was a known fact that they enjoyed creating a sense of false safety and then taking advantage of the fact.


    For all I knew he could be the same. iming flowers and gold now only to turn around and deliver nothing but fire and despair. Werewolves were unpredictable and temperamental creatures, after all.


    "I like you," he suddenly announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. Themotion in the cells and among the guards stopped.


    We all knew they were listening, but while I felt rather ufortable about it, Zion didn''t seem to mind.


    "I know you''re listening. Don''t pay any attention to those nosey fucks, I''m not going to say anything no one else couldn''t hear anyway, so they won''t get a dose of rumor they clearly seek. It''s something you will grow used to if you decide to stay around. The whole pack is like one, big, nosey family. Even the prisoners here are taking upon those qualities as you can see," he said and chuckled.


    Oddly, enough, everyone around us startedughing. So loud, theirughter kept echoing against the walls and the more theyughed, the more manic they seemed to be.


    "See? Told you not to pay attention to those fucks." Zion added again.


    Since there was no real use keeping up with the act, I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. As soon as I did, I nced in his direction and the moment he realized I had looked at him, his face broke out in a wild, blinding smile. "Gosh, you''re pretty," he muttered, still smiling like an idiot.


    There was something about him. Zion, as freaking scary as he looked, was nothing but a goofy person - a child in a grown man''s body, as it seemed.


    "You said you wanted to talk. So talk," I snapped. My words wiped the smile off his face and I instantly felt bad for my outburst so I cleared my throat and whispered, "talk, please. I didn''t mean tosh out, sorry." Thankfully, he clearly was someone who appreciated an apology if he received one, so at least that made me feel a little better.


    "Apology epted. And no need to stress about anything, happens to the best of us. I understand it has to be awfully hard for you to restrain your emotions. After all, you''re locked in a ce you don''t know, away from home and with a random dude at your side. In your ce, I too would act all snappy and sketchy. It''s fine. I promise."


    "Thank you for your understanding. I have a question before we talk, if I may ask one?" I looked away as I spoke, unable to look into his hopeful eyes for any longer.


    "You just asked one," heughed. "But sure thing, go ahead."


    Zion had some weird dad jokes hidden in his pocket, that much as was sure. He was as serious as he was funny and if it hadn''t been for the fact that he was a dog, I would probably like him. Okay, maybe not just like him, I would most definitely develop a massive crush on the man.


    Strong? Check. Handsome? Massive check. Funny? Absolutely. Nice personality? Yes.


    He was like a walking, talking, breathing example of every trait I had wanted in my perfect partner. Everything about him aligned with the things I had once dreamed about seeing in someone who would love me unconditionally. Sadly, there was one thing in him that I didn''t think I could ever ept and that was the very sole of his being - the vicious, wild, murderous wolf hidden within him.


    "If I agree to talk and don''t change my mind, will I be able to get out of here or am I to await the punishment for sneaking into the Luna''s bedroom? I don''t think it''s very important for everyone living here, but for the record, I wasn''t trying to hurt her or cause any harm. I just wanted to knock her out and win myself some time to get away from here."


    "Why did you sneak into the territory?" He suddenly asked.


    "I needed to check if the rumor was true and she really exists. I would like to keep the benefit of not discussing this particr topic anymore, if possible. You can focus on what you wanted to tell me and then, you decide whatever happens to me, I guess," I said.


    Zion hummed but didn''t offer any of his thoughts. Usually, I would be grateful for that, but in this case, the silence didn''t feel that good.


    "As much as I wish I could give you an answer, I can''t, sorry. It''s up to Aife or Bane what will happen to you or if you will be punished for the stunt you pulled. Honestly, I came here to talk about us, but if you don''t want to, I guess I understand. It''s not like I can force you to do anything against your will, right?"


    Well, those words were more than nothing. At least he gave me the information he could and admitted that there were some things he didn''t know. If nothing else, I knew Zion was truthful.


    "Okay. You can talk about anything, I will listen, okay?" I muttered and focused my gaze on the ground.


    For as long as I didn''t look at him, I should be good, right? For as long as I pretended that his smile didn''t make my heart beat just a little faster, my heart was safe.

 136: You can’t love a runt.

    **Zion


    pov**


    She was trying to hide from me. Whatever was the real reason behind her reluctance had to be massive, just as huge as the reason for her hatred for my species. As much as I wanted her to open up and tell me what was going on, deep down, I knew pushing her would be the wrong thing to do.


    If K were to tell me anything about her past, it had to happen on her own insistence, not my demands. The same thing had to be applied to her exnations of sneaking in and getting to Aife.


    After what felt like ages, her expectant eyes focused on me. I was sure she wouldn''t look my way out of disgust, but against all odds, she did, and man, did it make me feel like I was at the top of the world. "You''re so pretty," I blurted out in one breath, surprising myself.


    I didn''t want to make her feel ufortable in my presence, but I couldn''t help myself. She was, in fact, so darn pretty, it was hard to keep my eyes off her.


    On top of beauty, K had this energy that surrounded her, like a light aura that pulled me in and held me captive. I couldn''t leave her alone even if I wanted to.


    And then, it happened. The woman had to add the final blow to my heart when her cheeks turned light rosy pink and her eyes widened, just a little, but they did as if my statement surprised her.


    "You''re not supposed topliment the runts," she spat and instantly pped a hand over her mouth as if she just told me more than I was supposed to know.


    I frowned and watched her, waiting for a little more information to follow up on her statement, but she provided none. Instead, K looked away and nearly broke my heart by doing that. I knew that the look of hurt on her features wouldn''t leave my mind - it would haunt me in my dreams.


    Carefully, I got a little closer to her, leaned in and whispered, "in my eyes, you can be anything you want but that. Don''t call yourself a runt, okay? I don''t like that word and hate the idea of you ever being addressed by it."


    Her head snapped in my direction faster than I could blink. "Why are you so stupidly nice to me? Why are you so hell-bent on making this ordeal more difficult than it should be?" She cried out, tears already streaming down her cheeks. My chest tightened. While she still looked breathtakingly beautiful even crying, I couldn''t take it. My mate wasn''t supposed to be sad - ever. It was an instinct that I followed, but I didn''t regret it as I wrapped my arms around her frail body and pulled K into myp, holding her tight.


    To my surprise, she didn''t fight me. Instead, sheid her head on my chest and cried her heart out while whispering something I couldn''t understand. It didn''t matter, she could say anything for as long as I got to hold her like this. "I''m not trying to make anything harder for you, K," I whispered and gave her a chance to reply, which she ignored, so I kept going.


    "I didn''te here to give you a hard time or force you into a position you couldn''t escape. I came here to tell you how I feel. What I feel. Clearly, since you hate wolves so much, you know a thing or two about us. I was ready to let you do whatever you want to, but after talking to Aife, I had to take a chance and at leaste clean with you. I love you, K. Even if you think it''s impossible, too soon, or too stupid to make sense. I love you. And I will, even if you choose to rid yourself of the fleabag that has been crazy about you ever since his stupid brain kicked in and realized you are it for him."


    As soon as thest words left me, I felt like a massive weight just fell off my shoulders. K stopped crying, but still didn''t attempt to break out of my arms, so I took it as a good sign.


    At the end of the day, I knew how this could go - sooner orter, I would have to ept the fact that this was the first andst time I got to hold her. If this was all I could get, I wanted to make the most of it.


    "You can''t love a runt," she muttered after what felt like ages.


    An unexpected growl broke out of me as I tightened my hold around her. "Don''t call yourself that! You''re my mate, my perfection, the center of my damn universe, not a runt. I won''t allow you to call yourself that even if I get the pleasure to call you my mate for a few minutes only." I forced the words through gritted teeth.


    K had no idea how much it upset me to hear those wordsing from her. How could someone so perfect think so little of herself was beyond me.


    Had she ever seen herself in a mirror? Had she ever thought of herself as more than just something she had most likely been called once or twice? I couldn''t imagine a person so ruthless to call this precious little creature a runt even in my worst nightmares.


    "Zion?¡± Her voice broke me out of my thoughts. Looking down, I noticed that she was gazing at me and her hand was cupping my cheek. "You''re shaking. Are you cold? You should get out of here and find somewhere to get a little warmer." K whispered.


    Did she have any idea what she was doing to me? She imed she didn''t want or need me, yet she worried about my well-being while she was the one, who was locked in the cells.


    I didn''t think, just acted. Grabbing her hand in mine, I brought it to my lips and sighed. "I''m not cold, love. I was a little angry, that''s all." I whispered against her skin.


    She tried to pull her hand away from me, something I didn''t allow her to do. "Are you angry at me?" K asked once she realized that getting rid of me wouldn''t be as easy as she thought it would. "Not at you," I chuckled. "I''m angry at whoever made you believe that you are nothing but a runt. I''m angry at whoever made you believe that you are not enough or less than others. Never at you." The smile that spread across her lips was so bright, I wanted to see more of it. I wanted to wake up and see that smile first thing in the morning, but sadly, it disappeared far too soon. "Cats and dogs don''t mix," she suddenly announced.


    Maybe it was foolish of me, but I wasn''t ready to let go of the hope that burned inside my heart. The me was too bright, too hot and far too powerful to be ignored.


    So, I leaned down until my forehead rested against hers and whispered, "that''s what everyone says. How about we flip them off, tell them to fuck themselves and prove them all wrong, huh?"

 137: Someone like you.

    **Bane pov**


    It turned out that Chris had built one impressivemunication web with the other packs. From what I gathered, he had visited a few of them and kept the contacts, just in case.


    Apparently, he also told them all that my pack and I freed him from the chains of a tormentor, so, to my utter amazement, the surrounding packs didn''t view me as a monster at all. They viewed me as a hero, not someone who brought pain and destruction.


    "So, what you''re telling me is that-" I didn''t get to finish as he butted in and finished the sentence for me.


    "I stayed in contact only with the pack leaders that listened to my story. Only those, who understood why I idolized you and why I believed that what you did was the right thing. Everyone else could get fucked for all I cared." He walked right next to me, chuckling at every thing that left his lips.


    I still wanted to send him off, but the little bugger didn''t listen to me. No matter how many times I told him that staying away from me would be the safest option, Chris insisted he never sought safety or a way out of trouble. Someone like him could be a great asset to my pack, but now, I risked losing him if shit went down. There was no saying what could happen once we found the Lycan king and told him what was happening behind his back. Sadly, this was a risk I had to take, no matter how reluctant I was about it.


    "Anyway, how about we talk about something more positive? Like your mate," Chris perked up like an excited kid.


    I wanted tough at him, but seeing how happy he was and how much he wanted to ask questions, I couldn''t bring myself to break his spirit. Clearly, his life hasn''t been the best journey, so who was I to kill the excitement of his inner child? "Ask away," I grumbled as I scanned the surroundings.


    For a while, Chris just hummed under his breath, as if deep in thought. My entire body still hurt like a bitch and walking proved to me more challenging than I assumed, so his insistence on having a conversation was a wee distraction. "What''s her name?" Chris asked.


    "Aife," I replied without thinking.


    "How did you realize she is your mate? I have heard about mates, those are pretty rare these days and most people can only tell tales about the mate bond, so maybe you can exin how it feels? Goddess, I hope I have a mate somewhere out there and she''s just as eager to meet me as I am to meet her."


    The more Chris spoke, the harder the realization hit me.


    I wasn''t paying attention to his question earlier, perhaps that was why I ignored him, bringing up mates. Honestly, it was devastating to think about this topic. Aife wasn''t my mate. She was someone I kidnapped, abused and then chose to im as mine.


    I didn''t know if I was ready to admit all of that out loud. I was, however, very damn sure that she was it for me. She was the only one I wanted, the woman I hoped I could grow old with.


    "She''s not my mate," I muttered the reply, hoping Chris could let go of the topic.


    But of course, the curious little shit never dropped the topic. "Wait? She''s your Luna, but she isn''t your mate? How is that possible?"


    From the corner of my eye, I could see him staring at me, wide eyed. He wasn''t paying attention to our surroundings or where he was stepping, so I was sure he would fall over something or trip if he didn''t get his shit in order soon. "I chose her and she chose me. That''s how she became my Luna," I answered.


    My words weren''t quite the truth I wish I could have told him, but until I was ready to admit everything, I would rather stick to the pretty, stupidly happy scenario.


    "Well, that still sounds pretty fucking amazing, honestly. I bet she''s very pretty if she managed to catch someone like you," Chris chuckled and nudged my side.


    I, by all means, was no catch and I knew it. While I might have had some advantage looks-wise, I wasn''t the man every woman dreamed of getting with. I was temperamental, grumpy and my patience was as thin as a paper sheet. And yet, against all odds, Aife still wanted to be with me. Or at least I hoped she did. For all I knew, she could be nning her grand escape during my absence, so there wasn''t much I could do except for trusting her.


    "You got that wrong, buddy," I chuckled. "While you''re right saying she''s pretty, those words don''t do her justice. Aife is breathtakingly beautiful. The most stunning woman I had everid my eyes on. And as for the catch thing - in our case, she''s the catch. I''m the lucky one."


    I knew I probably sounded like a lost puppy or lovesick fool, but I didn''t care. Every word that left me - I meant it.


    While many people called me a beast and a monster, she found the strength to look past it all. I never thought of myself as someone who could be tamed, and yet, she managed to do just that.


    For her, I was ready to do anything. I wouldn''t just die for that woman, I would kill for her. Anything she wanted, I would do it. At this point, she was the master and I was the puppet she controlled.


    "She has you wrapped around her finger, doesn''t she," Chrisughed.


    "Yeah," I breathed out and joined in,ughing away the initial awkwardness that statement washed over me.


    As we neared the forest line, we discussed some more things about my pack and what Chris would like to do if he chose to join us. It looked like I was about to gain another amazing warrior and he would bring in his mother, who could do some ounting work for the pack.


    That was great news. And not only because our numbers would grow, but also because by the time we would return home, I knew Aife would have made some changes. I noticed how eager she was to make the pack system more fair, so I was excited to see what she could do.


    After all, I did tell Zion that Aife had full control to change anything she wanted for as long as it wouldn''t endanger the pack members.


    Stepping outside the forest felt both amazing and stupidly painful at the same time. While I was happy to get out of the shadows that hid us, the sunlight hitting us felt like a damn attack. Since I was so full of silver, my body struggled adapting to everything. So, my eyesight wasn''t the greatest and the sun literally blinded me.


    "Here, let me help you until you can see," Chris grabbed my hand and pulled my arm around his shoulders so I could lean on him.


    "Thank you," I muttered.


    "No problem, I''ve been in your spot once, so I know how that feels," he announced and started walking forward.


    I didn''t ask more questions. It was clear Chris didn''t want to provide more information or exin himself, so I let him keep the secrets. One day, he might be ready to talk and then, I would listen. It just wasn''t today.


    "The pack we''re heading to are the first ones to be visited by the king. He is nning to stay there for a day, so by the time we reach the border, he will be there. Alpha Jordan promised he would bring the king to the border to meet us. I hope you don''t mind that I spoke for you, but I told the Alpha that you need to discuss a very pressing matter with the king and it has to be in private."

 138: It’s killing him.

    pov**


    **Bane And once again, Chris was right. As soon as we reached the pack border, we were greeted by Alpha Jordan and the king himself.


    As soon as my gaze met that of the king, we both grinned and embraced each other in a tight hug while the rest of the men around us watched us as if we had lost our mind. I guess it should have been better to warn everyone that we weren''t quite strangers to each other, but this was funnier anyway.


    I knew many thought I had no idea what was fun or humor, but I did, in fact, have a sense of humor, it just wasn''t so noticeable as in, let''s say, Zion''s case.


    "Bane, how have you been? I haven''t seen you in ages, you crazy fuck. Have you been trying to hide away from me? Who does that to his friends?" The kingughed, squeezing me until I couldn''t take it anymore and a pained sound left me. He loosened his hold around me, but didn''t pull away his hands, just in case I fell or something.


    "What have you been up to? And why do you seem to be in pain all of a sudden? Don''t tell me you got in trouble on your way here, we have plenty of that, don''t we?" The cheerful tone of his voice was reced by that of a worry. Shaking my head, I grinned at him. "Nothing much. And probably because I am in whole lot of fucking pain. If you paid attention to the stench that probably emanates from me at this point, you''d notice how damn pumped with silver I am." The king nced at me and then at Chris, as if expecting the scared boy to answer the silent question.


    pping my hand on his giant arm, I grabbed his attention. "The boy saved me. He has nothing to do with this nonsense. But that''s exactly why I traveled here to see you. The people who did this to me are the people I needed to discuss with you."


    "Who?" He growled, nostrils ring in anger.


    "The High Council." As soon as the words left me, they hung in the air above our heads andplete silence surrounded us. No one dared to speak a word or join the conversation, all everyone did was stare at me. "What the-" the king stopped himself before he could say more than he intended to.


    While his words weren''t quite sharp, his look was. He pinned me down, demanding answers with a gaze alone.


    I looked at Chris and nodded. "You should take the Alpha and the rest of the men for a walk, if that''s alright with the Alpha. This is a discussion for two, I would appreciate it if you guys could respect that. If the king decides there''s something we can share, we will update you guys."


    Although clearly reluctant, they all agreed and left a few minutester. As soon as they did, I copsed. Thankfully, the king reacted in time and caught me before I hit the ground.


    "Bane, what the fuck is wrong with you? How bad is it? Damn it, how badly did they pump you up?" He hissed in a low tone.


    "The silver," I coughed and instantly felt the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. "It''s killing him, but he refuses to go down alone. If he dies, I will die too. He won''t go down alone, not if he''s heading straight to hell."


    Ironic how much I had wanted to get rid of the demonic fuck living in my body and now that I finally had an actual chance to get to my goal, he refused to let go without a fight.


    "Why did they do this? To you, of all Alphas." The king demanded.


    For anyone else, his behavior might seem odd. Asking questions instead of providing medical assistance had to sound crazy, right? But it wasn''t crazy at all. If there was a chance that I wouldn''t make it through the night, worst case scenario - he had the information to prevent the High Council frommitting simr crimes to others.


    "They sent a Fogger to spy on me. I told my guards I will leave the territory to see you and basically snitch on them. I thought that''s why. Apparently, there''s more. The High Council has wanted me dead for a while and once a rat from my own pack let them know I left, they sent their men to get me. When I woke up, I was chained to the wall inside the cells. Chris got me out of there. If it weren''t for that young man and his bravery, I would still be dangling from that wall, most likely dead with the amount of silver they forced in my blood."


    Before he could utter a word in response, I heard heavy steps approaching us. "I called for my medics, they will help you. Tomorrow morning, you will wake up feeling like a brand new man. Listen to me, Bane, you will wake up, okay? You have no other choice so you better fight. While you''re out, I will ask them to check if there is anything they could do about the alter ego too."


    As grateful as I was for his help, there were more things that worried me, more important than my ability to survive and see another sunrise.


    "I think they''re after my Luna. Don''t ask me why or other questions because I have no damn idea, but I''m sure they''re after her. The notes the Fogger left all mentioned her. No one has dared to enter my territory before I imed that woman. I need to keep her safe." I forced the words through gritted teeth and gripped his arm as an unbelievable wave of pain shot through my body.


    It was so intense, like fire, it set off every muscle of my body, every nerve ending, even those I never thought existed. With each pulsation, with every wave, it burned brighter and more intense.


    Never in my life had I felt pain this insane. I had walked through literal fire and never experienced anything even close to this. But now, the fire wasn''t just surrounding me, the raging inferno was set off inside me, burning me from inside out, leaving no chance to escape the agonizing pain.


    I was so out of it, I couldn''t follow what men around me did. All I knew was that the king still held me and refused to let me go. At one point, I felt something wet slide down my cheek and the king instantly wiped it off. "Sorry, buddy, it hurts to see you in so much pain," he muttered and held me tighter, giving the medics little to no space to work.


    The strength behind his hold didn''t worry me anymore. I was in so much pain, I couldn''t tell it apart anymore and after what felt like a whole eternity of torture, I felt my body shut down.


    Panic surged through me as I fought the need to close my eyes. With the little strength I had in me, I squeezed my friend''s arm and whispered, "keep her safe for me. Keep her safe."

 139: Killian is here.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I did take a nap, one I clearly really needed. The only issue was that after I woke up, I couldn''t shake off the odd feeling of something being terribly wrong.


    One thing I had learned was that ignoring this gut feeling was the biggest mistake I could make, so as soon as dread filled me, I jumped out of the bed, got dressed and ran downstairs.


    In the building, people were mingling as they usually did, nothing out of the ordinary. I didn''t see Zion anywhere, so I assumed he had to be down in the cells, having the conversation with K.


    I really wanted to run there and drag him out to discuss the bad feeling I had, but I fought against the need, knowing how much the time with his mate would mean for him. I would know... Although Bane wasn''t my mate, I still valued every moment we had together.


    So, instead of everything I really wanted to do, I decided to stay in the living room and wait. After the first fifteen minutes, I couldn''t sit around anymore, so I started pacing the room, throwing impatient nces at the watch.


    It took thirty minutes for Zion to finally emerge. "Finally," I huffed the moment he entered the living room.


    With his eyebrow raised and a look of confusion on his face, Zion stepped closer to me. "If you needed me, you could have sent a guard down to the cells to alert me. What''s going on?"


    I still didn''t stop pacing the living room, and at this point, I started biting my nails, unable to form the words or exin what I felt. Zion clearly had enough of my antics as he stepped right next to me and grabbed my shoulders to stop me, "Aife, talk to me. What is going on? Did something happen to you?"


    Since his eyes scanned me for injuries, I knew Zion was growing increasingly more worried with every second I spent in silence.


    Huffing, I stepped away from him. "I''m not hurt, Zion. I need to gather my thoughts to exin this."


    Raising his hands, Zion took one step back. "Alright, goddess, no need to shift into a hedgehog or some shit. Just tell me you need time, don''t blow up on me like that."


    All I could do was stare, with my jaw probably hitting the floor. I didn''t yell at him, didn''t raise my voice or anything. But maybe I did without noticing it?


    After pping my forehead, I ran my hand over my face and groaned. "Sorry." This apology wasn''t much, but it was the best I could do for now.


    I felt like my mind was all over the ce and no matter how much I wanted to set my thoughts straight, they literally avoided my attempts to grasp them.


    Once I realized I was growing too frustrated with my own inability to set myself straight, I sat down and focused on my breathing. While this state of stupid confusion wasn''t anything I weed, what was worse was the fact that the sinking feeling in my gut grew stronger.


    "Something''s terribly wrong. I don''t know what''s going on, but something is. I have this feeling in my gut. Zion, I feel like I''m losing my mind, but I''m not joking around... This feeling is..."


    Frustrated, I ran my hand through my hair, grabbed a fistful of it, closed my eyes and let out a loud scream. Deep down, I knew acting like this wouldn''t help me, but I had to get rid of the weight somehow and I didn''t know a better way to do it than screaming out the emotions.


    Clearly, at my sudden outburst, more people ran to the living room, all of them looking panicked and ready to jump into battle if there was one.


    "Calm down, guys, your Luna is having a little mental breakdown, that''s all." Zion muttered, making the situation worse than it was.


    I wasn''t losing my mind. I wasn''t going mental or having a breakdown. Sure, I didn''t know what was happening to me, but his assumptions were as wrong as they could be.


    "I''m not having a mental breakdown, Zion," I finally snapped. Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked at him and added, "just because I can''t exin what is going on doesn''t mean I''m losing my sanity, you asshole!"


    Every word that left me was sharper than I intended them to be, but if that was what it took for others to take me seriously, I had to do it.


    No one expected me to blow up like this, even Zion flinched at my words. "Goddess, there''s no need to be so damn rude. Sheesh, Aife, I would never have taken you as the cursing type."


    Getting up from my seat, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and red at him. "Because I don''t like cursing, so I try to avoid doing that. If I must for you to take me seriously, I guess I will have to address you as an asshole from now on."


    Everyone surrounding us exchanged nces, but no one spoke up. Zion, clearly, didn''t get the message as he took one step closer to me and opened his mouth, possibly to scream at me, but at that very moment a surge of pain hit me right in my chest. The scream that left me and echoed against the walls was so terrifying, it was fit for the scariest of horror movies. Right after that, I copsed on the floor and my body started convulsing with such intensity, I couldn''t stop it.


    I felt Zion''s hand on my shoulder a momentter, but as he tried to lift me, another scream tore out of me. The pain, I couldn''t describe it - I felt as if someone was trying to cut me open and pull my guts out of me while I was still fully awake. "Aife, what''s going on?" Zion screamed, panic dripping from his words. "Someone go get the doctor, get anyone who can help her. Fucking go, your Luna needs help, can''t you see it?"


    My hands shot to my stomach as I gritted my teeth and forced out the words, "attack. We''re under attack, they''re taking our people."


    I had no idea why I said those things, but I might have been right. Ever since I slept with Bane, I felt this odd bond with his pack people and now, the pain and everything literally felt like someone was hurting us all and taking what was precious to us.


    "Send the patrols out to check the damn borders!" Zion screamed over the voices that started overwhelming me, but the pain didn''t fade, if anything, it became worse, more intense.


    When Zion attempted to scoop me in his arms, I felt like his skin was burning me, so I couldn''t stop the screams of pain from escaping me even if I tried. As soon as he stood up and turned his body to carry me away from the living room, I heard the main door open and footsteps of multiple people approaching us.


    Zion ignored them all as he carried me away, but in the distance, I still heard someone scream, "Killian is here, he''s taking the rejects and his army is moving towards us now. Alert the Alpha, we need him here!"

 140: Damaged goods.

    **K pov**


    "That''s what everyone says. How about we flip them off, tell them to fuck themselves and prove them all wrong, huh?" The hopeful look in his eyes was breaking my resolve. Being with a wolf shifter was thest thing I wanted to do, but this one.. He just had something that pulled me in and Zion''s approach to problems was like a gust of fresh air. Although I saw how he struggled with his own temper, he still did everything in his power to remain calm and talk some ''sense'' in me.


    Zion''s words kept echoing in my mind, but I couldn''te up with an answer that could be good enough to ease his mind, or at least don''t give him too much hope. There still was so much I had to consider, I couldn''t give him an answer.. At least not right now.


    "I think I will sleep a little, if that''s fine with you," I muttered and tried to slide out of hisp.


    His arms around me tightened and he instantly hid his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling my scent. For him this might be something he did to calm himself, but the shivers that ran down my spine were all sorts of dangerous, so I had to cut this short.


    "Zion, please, give me some time to think," I muttered as I tried to push him away.


    I noticed the look of hurt that crossed his face, but the man was master at hiding his emotions, so it was reced by a bright smile the next moment.


    "Yeah, take all the time you need. I won''t pressure you," he whispered as he finally allowed me out of hisp.


    Without Zion''s strong arms around me, I felt like the entire world could get to me. Like I had no protection against the evil that was waiting for me outside these walls. Without the warmth that radiated off his body, I started shivering and instantly regretted getting away from him.


    But s, I knew I needed some distance from him if I wanted to consider this deal properly, without any influence from his side.


    It seemed that my request cut him deep because Zion was out of the cell in a blink of an eye. However, what truly surprised me was the fact that he didn''t lock or close the cell door.


    Was this some kind of test he was doing? To check if I would run the moment the chance presented itself? Ha, little did he know there was nothing good or kind waiting for me out there.


    I could, of course, return to the Coven and Salem, but the thought alone sent me into a state of panic and bile rose up my throat. Would staying with Zion really be any worse than staying with Salem? No, I didn''t think so.


    Even if the beast decided to beat me or even kill me, I doubted he would ever make me feel worthless or punish me for breathing too loud. Honestly, Zion didn''t look like a man who would deem me worthless just because Icked ws. But then again, I really didn''t know him to be the judge of that.


    How had I managed to get to the point in life where I was imprisoned by the species I feared the most, yet still thought of possibly staying?


    The difference between this pack and the Coven was that I knew what to expect from the witches and had no idea how far the wolves were capable of going. What would they do, if I chose to stay?


    And most importantly, how would Zion react if he found out that I couldn''t give him children, which I was pretty sure he wanted... I was damaged goods, no way fit for a mate, especially to a wolf who stood as high in ranks as Zion did. Compared to him, I was nothing.


    Sadly, I knew that Salem would think the same. She knew me better than anyone did, that witch knew everything about my shorings, talents and everything I lost. After all, she was the one who told me that I was banished from home for being who I was, not even one of my people had the gall to look into my eyes ande clean.


    Closing my eyes, I decided to focus on getting some rest. As soon as I did, I overheardmotioning from upstairs and frowned. Just when I needed the little sleep I could get, there had to be obstacles, right?


    Oddly enough, the guards in the cells seemed worried about something. While they didn''t pay attention to anyone, I crept closer to the open door and peeked at them.


    The old man noticed me, but didn''t say anything, just shook his head. When he realized I wouldn''t just hide in my cell, he walked closer to me and kneeled in front of the cell. "When we leave the cells, which trust me, we will, you need to stay here, okay? As outrageous as this sounds, the cells are the safest ce for you to be right now. Beta Zion will kill us, if anything happens to you."


    My eyes widened at the sharpness of his words. Had something really happened and themotion was more than just someone, trying to be difficult? Looking up at the ceiling, I focused on listening in. The scream that came from upstairs was so loud, so full of nothing but pain that it made me flinch. The guard looked at his friends and cursed. "Shit, we''re under an attack."


    I instantly looked at him as the guard stood to his full height and shook his head again. ¡°You need to stay here. Understood?"


    I had no idea how I managed to, but I spoke. "If that was your Luna screaming, the attack is apanied by the witches. She will be in a lot of pain because of that powder I blew in her face. You need to take me to her. At this point, only I can help her."


    Although he obviously didn''t trust me, the guard still stuck around. He switched his weight from one leg to the other and looked around, anywhere but at me. "I don''t know," he sighed.


    "You don''t have to trust me, but if you want your Luna to live, you will take me to her. I might hate you beasts, but she has been nothing but nice to me. Despite everything I have heard about that woman, I believe she is good and those rumors were nothing but dirty lies. Please, I will help her and you can lock me up again. Or better, let me help and then, hand me to the witches. They''re here for me."


    I felt the tears prick my eyes as I pleaded with the guard. I really wanted to help their Luna, she was a good woman and didn''t deserve anything that was about to happen to her.


    And although it broke me, I was also ready to be used as a chip of bargain for the witches to leave this pack alone. Going back with Salem had to be my worst nightmare, but I would, if it meant they didn''t bring more harm upon this pack.

 141: My kitty is there.

    **Killian


    pov**


    The time was running out, but I was the lucky one who had to be favored by the Goddess herself. Not only did I have an entire Coven of witches on my side, fighting for all the wrong reasons, but also, I found out that Bane wasn''t with his pack. The cocky fucker was out, Goddess knew where, unable to protect what he deemed to be his.


    My men and the witches surrounded the pack borders, taking their ces, ready to attack whenever I would give them the green light.


    Salem stood close to me, jumping around as if someone had set her ass on fire. She was a woman to be reckoned with, a lethal weapon if used correctly, but sadly, she was as stupid as a bag of rocks. All she cared about was the cat she had taken a liking in torturing.


    "Come on, we need to go. My kitty is there, I can feel her, I need to get my kitty back. No woman can be a proper witch unless she has a cat and those dogs have stolen mine. Killian, send your men in, let them ughter the thieves!" Salem whisper-hissed next to me.


    Although her attitude was admirable, it was the wrong one. I fully intended to get in and take what was mine, not ughter Bane''s people.


    In all honesty, I didn''t care about the cat Salem wanted to get out of here. My game was all about my bride, no one other.


    Also, I did understand that killing Bane''s people would be basically the same thing as signing my own death sentence. Sooner orter, he woulde back and see the destruction. Everyone knew that Alpha Bane was a subject of nightmares and once pissed off, he was unpredictable.


    Humans said they shouldn''t poke the sleeping bear. Us, wolves, we knew that poking Bane was the worst decision possible, even for the strongest ones. Someone, who saw no issue in wiping packs off the face of Earth just because he felt like doing that was too dangerous to y around with.


    Slowly, I ced my hand on Salem''s shoulder to stop her from jumping up and down like an idiot.


    "Calm down, we have enough time to wait. Remember where we are, we must look over our shoulders before we decide to attack. This is no child game, Salem. The beast that expects us inside that territory might be more than we can chew. We still don''t know if he''s really out. For all we know, Bane might have returned, and sadly, we are no match to him. You know witches, you know Covens and the system in your world, but ours is nothing alike. Instead of potions and words we have ws and blood."


    While my words would have convinced any werewolf, Salem just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I don''t get why all these wolves, including yourself, keep acting like some pussies. Can''t you just go there, kill some of them, grab what we need and leave? Isn''t that how it works in your world anyway?"


    Obviously, she had no idea what she was talking about. Salem kept looking at the surface stuff, forgetting that there was an entire iceberg hiding below the water. We feared what was hidden, not what stood out in the open for everyone to


    see.


    Bane, in a way, was an artist. He knew how to distract those around him and pull their attention to everything that didn''t matter while he still had something in the shadows - something so dangerous and powerful, we couldn''t get out alive if we took a wrong step.


    I ignored Salem''s sulking as my eyes sought out themander of my army. As soon as I found him, right in the position he agreed to take, he nodded at me and opened the mind-link.


    *"Positions are clear, Alpha. We don''t see the enemy nearing us, I suspect they already know about our arrival and that''s why we don''t see the patrols. They have secured the pack house and most likely areying low, waiting until we step in their territory."*


    *"How safe is it for us to attack now? Do we have any news about his whereabouts? Thest thing I want is to enter the territory with him, waiting for me."*


    As soon as the questions escaped me, the mind-link cut off. Both of us looked at each other, eyes wide, shocks evident on our faces. How did this happen? Since when mind-links cut off so abruptly without one of the participants wanting to stop talking?


    The answer to my silent questions came sooner than expected. A chuckle left Salem as she looked at her hand, a smug smile across her lips. "I suppose you''re finally done talking, right? About damn time, move your ass and get the kitty out of there."


    I stared at the witch in pure disbelief. Did she seriously use her voodoo bullshit magic to break the mind-link between wolves right in the middle of the conversation?


    Perhaps she didn''t know the possible consequences of her actions, but herck of knowledge didn''t make me pity her. She made her bed and now, she had to lie in it.


    My hand shot towards her throat before she could react. A scream left her lips as my hand wrapped around her neck and I mmed Salem into the nearest tree. Salem grabbed my hand, kicking her feet and gasping for breath. "Killian!" She hissed.


    Adding just a little pressure to her throat, I leaned closer and spoke through gritted teeth, "do you have any idea what you just did? Have you got any clue about the damage your stupidity could cause? To use magic to break an active mind- link! Are you fucking braindead? Are you, Salem?"


    Her eyes widened so much, I almost feared they would pop out of the sockets. Almost. Then, her face turned slightly purple and darkened with every second I held her against the tree.


    The kicking of her legs wasn''t as intense anymore and her grip on my hand wasn''t nearly as strong as earlier. Salem was giving up on her own life. Fucking pathetic. Where was the attitude she was showing earlier? Where was the anger, the greed and the lust for blood? Where was her determination to get back what was stolen from her?


    Witches were unstable creatures. One moment, they acted high and mighty, better than others, and once confronted or overpowered as in this case - they couldn''t do shit for themselves.


    The best part was that her Coven sisters didn''t stand up for Salem. I expected attacks, but none came. As if they were here to show an united front and hide the cracks within their own system. All of them were just as pathetic as Salem. "Alpha, we just got the news from the inside. He''s not there and it doesn''t seem like he will return anytime soon. They have a situation inside so no one is paying attention to the borders. Spy is in the cells, easy to ess and get out. Your woman is around too, looks like she''s not imprisoned so getting her out will be a piece of cake," one of the warriors announced, pulling my attention away from Salem.


    I looked at the guy and smiled. "Sounds great. How about the women, did you get them out already?"


    Letting go of Salem, I let her body collide with the hard ground and stepped aside. No one seemed to care about the coughing and gasping witch as all attention was turned to me.


    The warrior gulped and nodded. "Yes. All of them fought back, neither wanted to leave for some reason, but we still got them out of that hell."


    "Good," I grinned and scanned the hopeful faces around me. "Get in the positions, we''re going in."

 142: There you are.

    **K


    pov**


    I had little to no hope that this guard would listen to me, but he did. To my utter surprise, he listened and grabbed my hand. "I will take you to our Luna, you will help her, okay?" His eyes were full of tears, but the old man didn''t let any of them escape. "You will help her, right? You know how to help."


    Seeing the desperation in his eyes and hearing his voice crack, I knew how important this was for him, so I nodded and repeated, "I know how to help and I will. I promise. Cats never break their promises."


    "Okay," he sighed and tugged on my hand a little, leading me towards the massive staircase that led up to their pack house. "As for the other offer, it''s not up to me. I''m sorry, sweetheart, but it''s for Beta to decide. What he says goes." He couldn''t see me nod, but I still nodded. There were no words I could use that seemed appropriate for the situation. Throwing a temper tantrum about Zion and his rights, orck thereof, wouldn''t benefit anyone.


    As we started heading up the stairs, the guard cleared his throat. "I know I have no right to involve myself in this matter, but our Beta... I don''t think he will let you risk a hair on your head if he has anything to do with it. He''s a little rough around the edges, but he''s a great man. Even if it doesn''t seem like that at first, Beta Zion really is a great man. The best man I know, same as our Alpha."


    "Why are you telling me all this?" I finally asked, unable to listen to more of his rambling. We had to hurry so I could help their Luna, not walk around and talk boys as if this was another regr day.


    "Because.. I know this isn''t the best moment to try to convince you to give him a chance and all, but I just wanted to make sure you wouldn''t base your decision on something you have heard about us. People talk, they do that too often for their own good, but the majority of those things are baseless rumors. Don''t believe in those who have never met or seen any of us in life. They hear something, add a twist of their own ideas and keep spreading the lies." "Can we focus on the important part, please? I promise to listen to you once the madness ends. That is, if I will stay here. Or, if we will survive," I added thest part in a whisper, praying to the Gods this pack wouldn''t be hurt. Unlike others, I never wished anyone harm. I had said plenty of awful, dreadful things, but I never meant any of them. Deep down in my heart, I had always wished everyone good health, amazing lifes and all the best.


    No matter how awful some people might be, they still deserved a chance. With a few expectations, of course, but those who didn''t deserve anything good happen to them were the people who targeted younger individuals or the weakest parts of society.


    The guard didn''t speak anymore. I kind of wanted to ask for his name since I didn''t remember if anyone had mentioned it, but I kept quiet. Just like I implied earlier, this was no time to lead happy conversations or build friendships.


    As we finally reached the top of the stairs and he opened the door, we stepped inside what looked like a hall. The odd thing was that there were no voices, no movement, no people at all. As if the whole pack had died and no soul was left. Just a while ago, aplete panic coursed through the entire ce and it seemed like everyone did their best to get the ce turned upside down, so the sudden silence didn''t put my mind at ease.


    "Come along, darling, Beta Zion took her to the hospital. Don''t pay attention to anything you might see as we move closer to the hospital wing, it is not our responsibility or business to deal with the protection measures. Trust me on this one - all those men know what they are doing."


    Again, I didn''t give him any verbal confirmation that I had heard him and listened. Now, all that really mattered was to get to her as soon as possible and survive the attack that surely had started.


    I could feel Salem somewhere close. She was pulling at the invisible strings, luring me closer, demanding I returned to my rightful owner. Funny how she deemed herself to be one while as a true cat, I didn''t belong to anyone but myself. Sadly, Salem didn''t agree to ept that.


    All she did was push and pull against every chance of me, getting the taste of freedom.


    I used to think of myself as a very proud cat, a very high one. But today, I felt like a true failure. Salem was here for me, but for all the wrong reasons, so me and her had no true bond after all. I, on the other hand, had never felt as free as I was down in those cells imprisoned.


    How the tables had turned...


    "Here, she''s here," the guard raised his voice, bringing me out of my thoughts. "The Luna is here, you can help her, right? Tell them you can help her."


    My eyes scanned the ce. We were in a room, their Lunaid on the bed, surrounded by a bunch of doctors and to their side stood Zion.


    As soon as he noticed my presence, he rushed to me and ced his hands on my cheeks, cupping my face, "what are you doing here, little one? This sounds like bullshit, I know, but you''re safer down in the cells than you are here. With you around, I won''t be able to focus on-" he stopped himself before he could finish the sentence, but I had a feeling I knew what Zion was about to say.


    I was a distraction. With me around, he couldn''t focus on the killing. He couldn''t be the cold-blooded murderer he was because he feared I could see that side of him. Why I didn''t care about his nature was beyond me. I really didn''t care if he killed anyone before my eyes or not.


    cing my hand over one of his, I looked up and met his eyes. "I''m here to help your Luna. The doctors won''t be able to do anything. They don''t know the nt and the side effects. I do. I know what to do and how to help. Please, let me." Zion''s eyes darted to her. He clearly was too torn to make a decision, so one of the doctors took a step forward and pointed his finger at me. "So you wanted to kill her and now you will save her? Yeah, t chance. Beta Zion isn''t stupid and neither are we. Your ce is in those cells. Rot!"


    While I didn''t react to the harsh words, they seemed to hit Zion hard. He pulled his hands away from me and spun around to face the shouting man.


    The doctor instantly paled as his eyes darted between Zion and me, his mouth open, jaw nearly hitting the wall. "No, it couldn''t be," the doctor muttered.


    "Yes it could and it fucking is. Threaten her again and see what I fucking do." Zion warned as his eyes scanned everyone in the room. He was addressing them all.


    Everyone bowed their heads and muttered apologies, including the man who went off at me.


    "Move away from Aife, K needs space to help her." Zion growled and everyone instantly moved away.


    When Zion''s eyes focused back on me, the anger left his features and his muscles reacted as a slight smile spread across his lips. "Go on, little one, do your magic," he whispered and stepped aside.


    I had no magic to use, but I had a trick or two up my sleeve. Mainly the trick was my blood. Salem made me into her little, useful first aid kit box basically. Thanks to her, my blood could heal more than I could imagine. Stopping right next to the bed, I cleared my throat. "This might look gross, but it''s what will help. I promise I''m not lying."


    "That''s what a liar would say," someone muttered and Zion instantly growled so darn loud, the sound shattered the windows in the room.


    Ignoring the audience, I bit my lip until it started bleeding. Zion ran to me, but I raised a hand to stop him. "Don''t. It''s a part of the process." Before he could say anything, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her, forcing hers to part and let my blood flow inside her mouth.


    On the bright side, there wasn''t need for much of my blood, so after a few seconds, I stepped away. On the not so bright side, just as I did the door burst open and an all too familiar face appeared in the room.


    "There you are," Salem hissed, eyes boring in me. "How dare you use the precious gift I gave outside the Coven? Come here, you deserve a punishment!"


    Zion, the forever hero, tried to step in front of me, but he didn''t know Salem. No one knew her like I did. I had three seconds before she did something so vile, there was no way I could undo it. She would take away everything I had even before it was mine.


    "No!" I screamed and jumped in front of Zion just when her hand started glowing and the next moment, it was toote. Complete chaos, shouts, howls, blood-curdling screams and then, the darkness took me.

 143: You took her from me.

    **Zion pov**


    She just...


    That woman.. That witch! She fucking just..


    No, I couldn''t look. I couldn''t watch it happen. No matter how strong I was, I couldn''t watch someone attack my mate like this, especially knowing that the blow - it was meant for me.


    K told me she didn''t want me. She didn''t want me as her mate or friend. She wanted out of here. And yet, she jumped in front of me and shielded me from the attack.


    She knew what that woman was nning hence she could react while all I did was look around like an absolute fool. Before she could copse, I caught my little mate and pulled her body to my chest.


    Her body waspletely limp and her skin slowly turned cold as the warmth slowly faded from her body. The pain hit me in my chest, aimed straight at my heart. Tears filled my eyes as I held her a little tighter and let out a deafening scream of pain.


    The witch who attacked her just stood in the doorframe, watching my misery with her jaw dropped to the floor. How fucking dare she!


    Anger, burning, red, hot fury took me over. For the first time in my life, I didn''t fight it as it consumed me and forced me to act. It all happened too fast, but the next thing I knew was that I was standing straight and charging at the woman. Then, when I finally came to my senses, Iughed at the screams that tore out of her right when I pulled her fucking arm off her body. Limb by limb, I took them from her, starting with the very cause of my mate''s demise. "You took her from me!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as tears streamed down my cheeks. "And now, I will take everything from you. Every fucking thing you love and value, it''s mine. I own it, I do what I please, how I want to, whenever I fucking want to."


    "Kill me already, beast!" She screamed in between the sobs of pain.


    Ripping off her other arm, Iughed at her screams again. I tossed the limb away and leaned closer to her face. "No. You will live. You will watch. And after I''m done with you, I will let my men have their fun with you. I''ve never been one for abusing women, for supporting the abuse, but you took my mate and from then on, you are no woman in my eyes. You''re not a living being anymore. You are a tool I use to soothe my need for revenge, that''s all." "Fuck you, beast!" She hissed.


    "Not me, but you, yeah, you''re fucked now and very fuckedter on," I whispered and spat in her face.


    As I got back to my feet, first, I tried to regain my breathing and ground myself. The guard who brought K here, I wanted to kill him too - he brought her right into the danger, but I knew he wasn''t to me.


    The old man stood next to me, clearly shaken, and ced his hand on my shoulder. "Beta Zion? She''s breathing, I think it''s best if you hold her close and warm her up. She''s such a tiny thing, she needs you."


    At first, I didn''t realize who he was talking about. I really thought he was talking about Aife, but a momentter, the guard whispered, "your mate. She''s a fighter."


    At those words, I instantly turned around to see the doctors surrounding her. "S-she''s alive?" I stuttered, unable to step closer and check on her.


    If these were herst moments, I couldn''t face them. Selfish, I knew, I just couldn''t. epting that I lost something that I never had sounded like a true torture. I couldn''t ept that.


    "She''s a strong one, Beta Zion. I think she can pull though," one of the doctors announced.


    "And Luna Aife is fine. Whatever that girl did, it''s helping," a nurse added.


    I felt like a weight just fell off my shoulders. The witch was still hollering in pain, so I had to get the guards to take her to one of the cells. "Make sure you burn those fucking arms once she''s locked up!" I yelled after them as they took her away. Not that I was an expert, but I had a feeling that she could use some of her magic tricks to get those arms attached to her body again. No idea if that was possible, but better safe than sorry.


    Getting rid of the witch was one thing, but now, I needed to figure out what to do next.


    First things first, I scooped my mate in my arms and carried her to a room. The doctors told me it was best to leave her in the hospital, but since one of the nurses mentioned it could help if she stayed with me, I carried K to my bedroom. There, she could rest and be surrounded by nothing but my scent.


    Once Iid her on my bed and covered her with multiple nkets, I tip-toed out of the room and closed the door behind me, locking it just in case she tried to get away behind my back.


    Now, I was sure she wouldn''t get away from me anymore. She could tell everyone how much she hated me and wanted away, but if that was the case, she wouldn''t have tried to save my life, let alone stand in front of me like a fucking shield. K was mine - soul, body, mind, heart. Everything. And I was hers. Sooner orter, she would have to learn how to live with the fact. After this bullshit would be over, I was nning to love on her so hard, she couldn''t say no to her. If nothing else worked, I had a few ideas how to ensure I could grow on her. Like cancer at first, butter, she would learn how to love me just as hard as I already loved her.


    As I returned to the living room, a few men still stood around, waiting for orders.


    "What''s the situation?" I asked.


    "Well..." One of them started and grinned, looking at the guy next to him.


    Raising my eyebrow, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and waited for an answer. I was the second inmand, if war were about to happen, I sure as hell was about to take a massive part in it.


    "The rejects escaped them. We caught them half-way back home. All of them wanted toe back home, so they did. Said something about Killian and his men iming they were saving them, but all of the rejects basically flipped them off and ran away," as he told everyone the story, most of us startedughing.


    Most, not all. I didn''tugh. As funny as it truly was, we still stood in front of a massive risk of whatever was about to happen. I wouldn''t mindughing and joking around if this wasn''t a life or death situation.


    "Are they entering the territory?" I asked, breaking the cheerful mood everyone had.


    The men exchanged nces until one stepped closer and spoke. "The witches left. After that one snuck in and well, I think you know best what happened to her, the remaining ones basically waved their white gs of surrender and got the fuck out of there. Killian and his men still are around."


    "Around or inside the territory? I need answers, precise answers would be freaking amazing, boys," I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. We needed a n and fast. Without Bane, fighting them all off could be a little harder, but I was sure we could pull through either way.


    "They were entering, but they retreated. We don''t have any idea why they''re still around, but his men are refusing to step over borders. They think this is a death trap. Apparently if a witch couldn''t get rid of us all, they think they have no chance of survival."

 144: Don’t be late.

    **Killian


    pov**


    The whole n went down in mes, all because Salem couldn''t control herself. The whole Coven left as soon as they felt the link between them and Salem weaken, instantly assuming she died.


    My men, as brave as they had been, decided it wasn''t worth it to enter the territory that possessed so much danger to their lives and well-being.


    At this point, I was left with half of the army and useless warriors. Entering the pack territory could be deemed as nothing short of suicide. Bane''s Beta would die for a chance to rip my heart out, that much I had known for ages.


    If I had to choose between looking like a smart coward or foolish hero, I chose to be smart. I woulde up with a better n to pull my bride out of that hell, one that wouldn''te at the cost of my damn life. "We''re leaving," I growled.


    Although it was my ownmand, I still felt insanely irritated by the relief I saw on everyone''s faces. It literally looked like all of them wanted nothing but to get out of here and finally, I granted their wish. "Fucking weaklings," I grumbled under my breath as I spun on my heel and walked away, leaving the bunch of morons behind.


    Sometimes, I envied Bane. He was a piece of shit, an unworthy Alpha in my opinion, but his pack stood by his side and ideologies no matter how bad it got. Even now while he wasn''t in his pack, they all were ready to fight for what he believed in while my men feared taking a step inside that damned territory.


    The further away from the border I got, the more irritated I grew. The anger boiled my blood to the point that I snapped and started punching a tree just to rid myself of the frustration coursing through my veins.


    Did any of them have any idea how much I just lost because of their fear? That woman, hidden inside the pack, was mine. She was promised to be my wife, not the ything of Alpha Bane. The Goddess had to have a grudge with me, not him if this was what she nned for us.


    A sharp pain coursed through my arm, making me stop punching the tree. I broke the skin on my knuckles and could easily see the little flesh that covered the bones.


    Just as I moved my hand and a loud hiss escaped my lips, my phone went off in my pocket.


    Reaching for the device and checking the called ID, I couldn''t help but feel more anger run through me. Of all people, her father was thest person I wanted to talk to. Despite the temptation to decline the call, I tapped the green button on the screen and brought the device to my ear. "Killian."


    To my surprise, he didn''t utter a word. There was nothing but silenceing from the other side of the line.


    "What do you want this time, old man?" I muttered, pulling the phone away and checking if the call was still ongoing. That was my mistake because just like in any awful romanceedy, the asshole heard the silenced words and reacted. "Killian, I would like to point out that I''m not nearly as old as you think I am. In fact, I am in my prime years, still a very capable leader and warrior." He announced, sounding so proud, I nearly didn''t recognize him.


    Why he never sounded this fucking full of himself when he spoke about his pack or children was beyond me. I guess that really was his ego talking, nothing else.


    "My apologies," I forced the words out, hating the bitter aftertaste left in my throat. This game was getting old and really damn tiring. I had no idea for how much longer I could y the nice guy with him or pretend that I liked his presence. I didn''t. I fucking despised being around him or the very thought of his presence in my pack. If it were up to me, I would kick him out and pretend he was a bloody stranger. Or, even better, I would take his life just for the sake of fun. Yes, having his blood run down my hands sounded like a fantasy I would enjoy more than taking his daughter''s innocence and corrupting her.


    As soon as the thought crossed my mind, my cock came to life again and sprained against the zipper of my pants. Instinctively, I reached down to adjust myself and groaned, feeling as hungry as ever. It had been quite a while since thest time I had a woman underneath me. It had to be her, I was waiting for her, wanting to make it special..


    The only issue was that I doubted that Bane could keep his dirty paws to himself. But then again, if he was stupid enough to touch what was mine, I would find a good way to punish the fucker.


    My hand gripped my erection through the fabric and another, desperate groan left me. If it weren''t for the old man, nearly shouting on the phone, I could have lost myself in the moment and jerked off while he was listening. I wondered if he would approve of the idea that my little moment of fun would be fueled by his daughter''s image in my mind.


    "Are you listening to me? Are you? Don''t ignore me, Killian. Alpha or not, I still am your elder and you have to learn respect for your elders. Don''t be such a disgraceful person and answer my questions. Goddess, I''m scared to ask why are you making all of those whimpery bitch sounds instead of talking. Are you listening or not?"


    With each word, his voice grew louder. "I''m listening, lower your goddamn tone!" I finally snapped and interrupted him mid-rant.


    Maybe the old man could do this shit to his pack, but I wasn''t another bitch he could order around or treat as lesser. He was in my pack, under my roof, eating my fucking food, so he was the one who had to learn how to respect others, not the other way around.


    "Did you get inside the pack? Is my daughter safe? Did you get her? Are youing back here? Let me hear her, hand her the phone and let me hear her," he spoke so fast, I barely caught on the words.


    Here he was, once again, assuming things on his own and thinking he could get whatever he wanted just because in his fantasies, everything happened how he nned.


    Groaning, I gripped the phone and closed my eyes. Then, I pinched the bridge of my nose to ground myself and took a few deeper breaths before I answered his stupid questions.


    "No, we didn''t get inside the pack, at least not as far as we hoped to. A witch blew up the whole operation and ruined our chances to carry out the n. I have no idea, but I know she''s alive. Again, I didn''t get in far enough to get her. We are returning, yes. You can''t talk to her because I don''t have her with me."


    The scoff that left him was a mix of disappointment and something I couldn''t pin-point. All I knew was that he clearly thought of himself as higher.


    "An Alpha, yeah that''s what you are." He muttered, sessfully getting under my skin.


    "How about I show you just how much of an Alpha I truly am when I get back home, huh?" I offered, barely holding onto thest thread of my patience. "Whatever," he muttered. "Milly wants to see you when you return home so be sure toe back before dinner time. Don''t bete."

 145: He is dangerous.

    **Bane


    pov**


    As I came to my senses, the first thing I noticed was how badly my head was pounding. Then, I realized that my entire body was in so much pain, I couldn''t move even a muscle.


    Blinking, I tried to adjust to the brightness in the room and looked around. There was no one near. Iid on a bed, trapped inside a room with white walls and nothing but this bed inside. No medical stuff, so I knew this wasn''t a hospital room. Then, I let my gaze travel down to my feet and gasped. If nothing else, at least I knew why my body hurt so much - I was chained to this bed. But why?


    As the ideas, questions and assumptions started circling my mind, salvation came in the form of a woman wearing a nurse''s uniform.


    Once her gaze found me, a bright smile spread across her lips. "Alpha Bane, you''re awake. Wonderful, let me get the doctors here to check on you."


    Just as she was about to spin on her heel and leave, I stopped her. "Wait!"


    Her eyes found me again, a look of confusion all over her face. "Yes? Is there anything I can help you with?"


    "Yes, there is something," I announced and looked down at my body again. "Why are there so many chains and why in the hell would anyone want a sleeping person chained to a bed?"


    When my gaze focused back on the nurse, she was backing towards the door, slowly typing to escape my questions. Caught, she looked anywhere but at me and whispered, "it is not my ce to exin everything that happened. Please rest while I get the doctors here and they will answer every question you might have."


    The nurse didn''t wait for another question or even acknowledge that I had understood her. She quickly spun around and hurried away, leaving me alone, utterly confused.


    "What in the actual fuck," I muttered to myself and closed my eyes, listening. Since the nurse didn''t want to talk, maybe the damn asshole inside my head would.


    Usually, when I was out of it or asleep, he was awake and extremely aware. Sometimes, just to annoy me, he told me how many times I had rolled or farted in my sleep, but this time he was silent. Again.


    That struck as odd and while I really enjoyed some time without him, it kind of sucked. One time I needed his presence and it wasn''t here. Great.


    Sulking, I waited and stared at the ceiling. At one point, I started counting the different spots covering the ceiling just to kill some time. This was ridiculous, but it wasn''t like I could just get up and leave on my own ord. For that, I needed whoever held the key to these darn restraints.


    By the time I had counted all the spots on the ceiling, no one had arrived so I started debating if having some more sleep was a good idea.


    In a sense of rest, sure, sleep was always the right choice, but the possibility of my muscles going numb after having too much rest kind of threw me off. Perhaps this wasn''t the right time to get some much-needed rest after all. The more time I seemed to waste justying here, the more irritated I became. Just when I reached my main goal and met the man I was seeking, some stupid shit had to happen to me and throw me off the path, right?


    As that thought crossed my mind, the door to the room opened and a few men walked in. The tallest one stood the closest to my bed and grinned. "Alpha Bane, we''re d to see you''re awake and it seems like you''re feeling pretty good." While his words were meant as a statement, I could sense the question behind them, so I decided to reassure him. "Yes, I''m feeling pretty good. Well rested and all."


    "Splendid," he grinned. "Don''t mind us while we take some of your vitals and examine your state, okay? And I''m terribly sorry for the chains, but those must remain here until we get an order from the king that those can be removed." Arching an eyebrow, I decided to question the doctor. "Why am I chained to the bed, again?"


    The same as the nurse, this man looked anywhere but at me as he spoke. "Unfortunately, I am in no position to share this information with you, Alpha Bane. The king wanted to have this conversation and we are under the obligation to allow him to have this. You two are friends, I think it''s really better to hear news like this from a friend."


    Was everyone''s main intention to keep me in the dark and raise more suspicion within myself? How hard it had to be to answer one simple question. Clearly, all of them knew what had happened for the chains to be used, so at least one could give me a fucking hint or something.


    "Fine," I groaned after I realized all of the medics were too tight-lipped. "Do whatever you must do and tell your king I want to see him as soon as possible."


    "That won''t be necessary, I''m already here," the king himself entered the room chuckling.


    "Speak of the devil, huh?" I teased him while the poor medics looked like they were about to have a stroke or something.


    Very few people knew how close the king and I used to be before our friendship had to be basically paused when he took over the throne. We preferred this friendship to be that way - hidden, sort of.


    As the kingughed, the confused medics checked my vitals, exined to us in what state I was and whispered something in his ear before leaving us. Once the door behind them closed, I red at him and growled, "why the fuck am I chained to a bed?"


    Just like always, he looked more amused than angry as he sat on the bed and ced hisrge hand on my arm. That is, until his eyes focused on something in the distance and he let out a heavy sigh.


    Alright, whatever had happened - it was serious. Anything with chains was bad, but coupled with the expression on his face, I wasn''t so sure that I wanted to hear what was going on anymore. "How bad?" I whispered as if I already knew the answer. I thought that I did. And honestly, it scared me to no end.


    "Very,¡± he whispered.


    My word stopped with that one word. I had so many ns, grand ideas, goals and dreams, but now, all of them went down the damn drain.


    I wasn''t ready to face news like these, definitely not these days when I finally thought that I had reached a sort of happiness I never dreamed of having.


    I was so damn close to having that happiness with Aife, so close that I could taste it and now, I stood before the risk of losing it all. How could I lose something I didn''t really have yet? How was that fair? Deep down, I knew that one day, I would pay for every wrongdoing I''ve done in my lifetime, but this punishment felt too harsh.


    "I''m ready to listen to you," I whispered and closed my eyes.


    All I could really do was just listen. Every word, as unwilling as I was to ept them, I was ready to hear him out and see if there was anything I could do to fix this shitstorm.


    "Once we got you here and the doctors pumped you with everything they could use to boost healing, the shit went down. Real bad. You were out of it, but he wasn''t. He wanted to go out, he wanted to return home and apparently take out the bitch that has been distracting you. He''s pretty fucking strong, you know. We had to chain you to the bed to keep your body here. Also, if you''re in pain, it''s the silver they had to inject to keep him down. Stupid, right? Silver was killing you and we had to add some of that shit to ensure the other you wouldn''tmit a crime you would never forgive. He is dangerous, Bane." He shook his head and took a deep breath.


    "Unless we think of a way to break the cycle, whoever that woman is, she will suffer for as long as she''s with you. At this point, the docs here think that he will use any moment of weakness you might have. Even sleep. It''s up to you buddy, but your Luna, she''s really not safe with you around."

 146: Not a friend.

    **Bane


    pov**


    After the conversation, I took a nap, feeling too weak to move and withstand the pain that kept coursing through my body. Just like the king promised, when I woke up, the chains were gone and I didn''t see the sickening white walls anymore. Instead of that depressing room, I was moved to a regr guest room. Some of the doctors sat around me, in case the madman inside me went off and possessed my body. Thankfully, that didn''t happen, so I was allowed to join the others in the dining room for some light snacks.


    Although I didn''t feel hungry, I still forced myself to eat something, fully aware that my body would copse if I didn''t force something nutritious down my throat.


    One after another, men and women from this pack left the dining room with their empty tes in hand. I could feel the hostility against me, but didn''t pay much attention to it. If a person with a reputation as strained as mine decided to visit my pack, I wouldn''t be any kinder to them either.


    When thest people were only the Alpha, the king and myself, we got to talking.


    "Bane," the Alpha started. "We are not close, nor friends, but believe me when I say I care for your well-being and the state you are in right now. My pack needs some time to adjust to your presence and warm up to you, but when you get to know my people, you learn they are very open minded and kind people. By the time you will be ready to leave this ce, they will learn to love and respect you."


    I knew his words were meant to reassure me but all they did was shock me. I felt how my eyes widened in disbelief as I stared at the man. What did he mean with ''by the time you will be ready to leave''? I was ready to leave now. Shaking my head, I cleared my throat and tried to ground myself. Thest thing we all needed was an anger outburst from me. That would lead us to another disaster and possibly, might work like a switch for the madman to go off.


    "As much as I appreciate the kindness you are showing me and the medical assistance you two provide, I need to make a few things clear with you guys. The most important one would be that I need to leave. Soon. Not whenever I''m ready but as soon as possible. I have someone waiting for me."


    At first, while I spoke, both of them were listening to me, but as soon as I implied that I had to return, the king raised his hand to stop me.


    "Bane, listen to yourself. I get that you might be excited about this new rtionship, we are happy for you, but it''s too soon to leave now. No woman is worth risking one''s health, especially in a state you have found yourself, topped with enemies as powerful as yours. All we are trying to tell you is that we care and want what''s best for you."


    Theugh that escaped me was bitter, honestly - unintentional. I wasn''tughing at their attempts to protect me and my sanity or health, rather I wasughing in disbelief. I really did appreciate the concern, but they had no idea how much going home meant for me.


    While these two might have known healthy rtionships and love their entire life, this was my first time truly enjoying being loved by someone. Despite my faults and wrongdoings, Aife loved me. She loved me like no one ever did and could. "She''s worth it, my friend. So worth it, it hurts. You have no idea." Was all I said.


    It seemed that I didn''t have to find more words to convince them both. The Alpha and the king offered me warm smiles, although a little forced, they were genuine.


    "We still worry," the king insisted. "How about you give them a call? You''re pretty far from your territory, so mind-link most likely won''t work. However, if you call them and your Beta might assure you that everything is alright, you can stay for a few more days and get the rest you need. If something has happened while you''re away, I will change the schedule of visiting packs and apany you there." He offered.


    This should have been a no-brainer, but I was rather hesitant to ept the offer. There was no greater way to attract attention than traveling with the king himself. Didn''t he mention my powerful enemies just a moment ago? How did it make sense to him?


    Pushing my worries aside, I chose to agree to one thing. "I will give Zion a call and decide what could be the best course of action from here. But, for that, I will need to borrow a phone since I don''t have mine anymore." "Imagine the wealthy, powerful Council stealing a phone from an Alpha. What are they, beggars?" The kingughed as he stood up and reached into his pocket to pull out his phone.


    We all shared a moment of awkwardugh as I took his phone and thanked him. Both men left the dining room to give me some more privacy as I made the call.


    Usually, Zion had his phone close by, but not today. For some reason, it took me five times to finally reach the annoying asshole.


    "What the fuck do you want from me? I won''t buy underwear from online wholesalers, I''ve made that mistake once and my best friend gave me plenty of shit for an entire lifetime. For thest damn time - I''m not interested in buying a truckload of rainbow boxers. It was a joke, for fuck''s sake! One time joke, not one truck joke you sick fuck!" Zion screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Before he managed to end the call, Iughed. "So sensitive."


    Silence. All I heard was silence and I actually had to check the phone to ensure we still were on a call. "Zion? Did you die on me? Or are you disappointed in theck of underwear I could offer you?"


    "Oh, fuck you, Bane. Why are you calling me from a strange number? Where''s your phone? And where the hell have you been? I''ve left a few messages and you haven''t answered any," he groaned, clearly frustrated.


    I frowned as I listened to Zion starting to pace the room he was in. Usually, he was pretty easy going, but during this call, my best friend sounded like he was on the edge of something.


    "Well, long story short, I''m fucked up. Pretty bad. I''m calling you from the king''s phone to find out what is going on at home and decide if I should stay here to heal a little or head straight back to you guys. My own phone is somewhere in the cells or territory of the High Council. Very fucked up over here, as you might suspect already." I gave him a quick run-down to test the waters.


    Whatever was going on with me didn''t matter. I wanted to know what was happening back home and see if Zion was able to ensure the pack was secure and safe. It wasn''t that I didn''t trust him.. It was that I didn''t in a way. Now that I had Aife, I worried about everything I could.


    "Yeah, sounds like you went through hell of an adventure. And without me. Wow, how dare you. Freaking prick, not a friend, that''s what you are, Bane!" Zion ranted, his voice growing louder with every word that escaped him.


    The more he spoke, the more he gave out. Zion wasn''t very skillful when it came to keeping secrets, that was a whole fact. When he started avoiding questions and using me of something I didn''t do - I knew he was hiding something. "What happened? Don''t lie." I growled, slowly rising to my feet, ready to leave this ce even if I had to kill the entire pack to get out of here and back to Aife.


    I swear, if anyone dared to hurt her, there was hell that would follow and I would deliver the said hell fucking personally. On a damned silver tter, if needed.


    "You''ll freak out, but a lot happened. There''s a fucking rat, someone''s giving out information to outside sources. As soon as you left the territory, shit hit the fan," Zion admitted.


    I knew about the rat already, existence of this one fucker was more than a simple fact already. The words that followed after were what really worried me.


    "Killian came here with witches. One of the witches sent in a cat to check if Aife is real for whatever reason. Didn''t get the information yet. Cat kind of knocked Aife out with some powder. Don''t freak out yet, the same cat helped save Aifeter and she''s my mate too. Yeah, turns out we can have mates after all. Aife is good. My mate isn''t. A witch got in here and tried to attack me, K jumped in front of me and basically saved my life. I ripped off the arms of the witch. Shit hit the fan, Bane, I don''t know what to do anymore."

 147: Hi, dad.

    **Killian pov**


    Returning home felt like a kick to the balls. Thest thing I nned was to return back empty handed, one witch in negative and with the whole Coven turning their back on me.


    All that nning was useless. Deep down, I had a feeling that dealing with Bane wouldn''t be even half as easy as I hoped it would, but sometimes, even the strongest warriors and most powerful leaders had to take the fall. It just happened so that this time, I was the one taking the fall.


    As I entered the pack house, I looked around and frowned. It was quiet, too quiet to be every other day. I really hated the silence, especially when it turned so eerie as it was now.


    Walking into the living room, I started growing a little anxious. If not anyone else, I usually met the moron old man here, but he wasn''t sitting on the recliner and reading his paper now.


    Scanning the surroundings, I realized that something was really off with this ce. It didn''t feel like home anymore, more like some unknown ce I had no right to enter. How it was possible to feel this way in my own pack house was beyond


    me.


    Just as I thought of turning on my heel and leaving the building to enter it again, just to make sure I wasn''t going crazy, the old fool appeared around the corner and grinned at me.


    "Finally, son, you''re home," his voice echoed against the walls as he walked closer to me, arms open for a hug.


    I took a step back and stared at him, wide-eyed. What had gotten into him? Why, all of a sudden, was he acting like someone close to me? What was he nning this time?


    There were too many questions running through my mind, but he didn''t seem to notice that. The guy was so oblivious to his surroundings and the things people around him did or felt, it wasn''t funny anymore.


    "What took you so long? We were getting worried already. Some of your men even left the pack house to check if you are on your way here. Did you meet them?" More questions, yet no real words, seemed to spill out of him.


    The longer I looked at him, the more suspicious I grew. He had this weird, nervous aura surrounding him, as if he was on the brink of revealing a secret I wasn''t supposed to find out and all those questions were nothing but an attempt to distract me.


    Clearing my throat, I ran a hand through my hair and pinned him with my gaze before asking. "What are you hiding?"


    Now his eyes became wide and all color drained from his face. There, right here in front of me, there was the proof that my gut feeling was right after all.


    "I-I don''t understand," he stuttered. "What are you on about? Why would I be hiding anything from you? You must have a fever or maybe you''re too tired because I''m not hiding anything. You were supposed to be my son-inw, why would I ever hide anything? No, don''t be ridiculous."


    This was the exact reason why I had always preferred to have face to face confrontations. When I could look at the person I spoke to, I could see their bodynguage and attitude change, as well as feel the aura.


    He was all sorts of in the wrong and clearly, he knew that too. Sadly, his ego was far too overgrown for the man to ever admit he had made a mistake or his story didn''t add up after all.


    "Drop the act," I groaned, stepping closer to him as his eyes darted everywhere but at me.


    With every step that I took closer, he took one back until his back hit the nearest wall. Funny how a while ago, on the phone, he was the biggest and greatest man alive, but now facing me, he looked so small and scared. It was, in fact, rather amusing.


    "What are you hiding? You can keep your bullsit for someone else who can deal with it, because I had enough. Your only choice in this situation is toe clean about whatever you are hiding." I growled.


    "No," he shook his head. "There are always two options and I must choose one, so you must give me the other one. And I should have time to think. You owe me that benefit." He argued.


    Another loud growl left me as I mmed my fist against the wall, right next to his face. He was getting on myst nerves and some small-time Alpha would never dare to disrespect me like this, only over my goddamn dead body. "The other option is to fucking leave my house, my territory and forget the way here. I''m done with your games, done with your constant need to force some power y and bullshit. You are in no position to y around with someone and especially with me. I am your meal ticket, the one who provides a roof over your head and the damn protection. Now, choose," I forced the words through gritted teeth.


    Now, once and for all, I really had enough. So much so that I was willing to forget ever paying this moron to marry his daughter. The money wasn''t an issue anymore if it meant I could get this moron out of my way as soon as possible. "I think it''s better if we sit down and talk," he finally muttered and slowly stepped to the side to get away from my reach.


    How sad was this behavior? How bloody pathetic was it to watch an Alpha who proimed himself as someone powerful to act like a scared little bitch?


    "Fine," I grunted and spun on my heel to walk to the sofa in the living room.


    As soon as I plopped down, the old fool followed me and sat on the sofa right across the room. And again, he didn''t dare to let his gaze meet mine, instead focusing on every detail in the living room.


    "When will you talk? I am a busy man as you know, I have plenty of shit to deal with," I grunted, running my hand over my face to keep myposure. With him so close, I found it rather challenging to keep my mind as straight as possible. Sighing, he hung his head and shook it. I almost felt bad for the balding man as he was struggling to find the right words to describe whatever was happening. Almost. All because it surely was a secret he was holding for a while now and confronted with the truth, he still held onto the hope of never telling me anything about his secrets.


    "Come on, I don''t have the whole day to waste around here with you. Keep in mind that I didn''te home in the best mood as well, so whatever you''re trying to do here isn''t helping either." Slowly, he lifted his head until his eyes met mine and whispered, "I think it''s best if we ask Milly to join us. That way, I can exin everything in detail, no more secrets."


    I raised an eyebrow but still nodded my head. Whatever it was, this was about to turn really freaking interesting.


    "Milly! Darling, can you please join me and Alpha Killian in the living room for a quick chat?" He shouted at the top of his lungs and a few momentster, footsteps approached the area we were in.


    Soon enough, Milly entered the living room, her smile so wide, it nearly split her face in half. I observed her as she walked to the old man and sat next to him. Her hand covered his as she smiled even brighter and whispered, "hi, dad."

 148: You know him.

    **Killian


    pov**


    My jaw hit the floor. I couldn''t utter a word as I watched those two, happily gazing at one another. At one point, it seemed like they werepletely unaware of my presence. "I''m sorry, what? Did I just hear you call him dad?" I almost choked on my own words as I kept watching them both like a hawk.


    What on Earth were those two up to and why did they think it was a good idea to pull me into their mess? I never agreed to be a part of whatever game they were ying.


    Milly''s gaze found mine and a slight smile spread across her lips. While she looked at the old man, she smiled as if the guy hung stars for her, but looking at me, she almost appeared disappointed for some reason.


    I had known her for years - she married one of my closest friends and raved about him, choosing her as his mate. Sadly, my friend passed away from something even the doctors couldn''t exin, so ever since then, I''ve been trying my best to help her lead the pack, but obviously it has been tough on her.


    Lunas were the mothers of the pack. They were there to care for their people and nurture them to a good life, not rule over them with an iron fist. For the heavy part, the packs had Alphas, but Milly had lost hers and so had the rest of the pack. Lately, she had been spending a lot of time in my pack, but I never assumed that her presence could be connected to the old man. Come to think of it, she dide around more often once he arrived here.


    "Killian, please, calm down. There''s no need to be aggressive or angry about what we are about to tell you. Keep your mind open and listen. And before you start screaming your head off, remember who I am, remember your friend and think if he would appreciate the attitude you''re about to give me." As she spoke, Milly sounded like a true Luna.


    It had been a while since thest time her aura became this powerful and her voice didn''t tremble. For a while, she reminded me of a scared child, not a powerful leader, but now that fear she felt seemed to be long forgotten.


    I had to take a few deeper breaths to ground myself before I blew up and did something stupid. Deep down, I knew that if I dared to open my mouth now, I would get in more trouble than figure out the answers, so I just nodded. Sometimes, it was better to hold back anyway.


    "Okay, I need you to listen to my dad. Don''t say anything, don''t interrupt him and most importantly, please, for the love of the Goddess, keep your mind open. Remember that sometimes people are forced to do things and it''s not up to them what consequences might follow," Milly muttered and looked away, offering the old man another heart whelming smile.


    No matter how much I tried to do just that - keep my mind open, I couldn''t get rid of the dreadful feeling in my gut. Something bad was about to happen and I had a feeling that the shit would go down really freaking fast, and hard. Again, I nodded my head in agreement and pulled my hands into tight fists to keep my cool. As much as I could, at least.


    "We had an agreement," the old man started, his voice breaking even before he could finish whatever he was nning to admit.


    Since neither of them spoke, I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Yes, that we had. We had a bloody agreement that I would pay you, which I already fucking did, and I could marry your daughter. If you''re about to tell me it was a cover to get me to marry Milly, you''re mental, old man. All this shit I went through, the risk I took on Bane''s territory, the loss and everything... For fuck''s sake, you''re sick."


    At this point, I couldn''t contain the anger that surged through me. I was so pissed off, I literally feared that my blood would start boiling after the bullshit I had to listen to.


    "Killian, please calm down. It''s not how it looks. Please, stop assuming something without hearing him out. It''s unfair, you know there''s someone looking at you from above and I''m sure he''s very disappointed in your reaction. Maybe disappointed in you. Is this how you treat the widow of your friend and her family? Really?" Milly hissed, catching me off guard.


    Was I supposed to agree or could Iugh? Because her words were outrageous. How dare she attack me and bring up my friend after she and her father were the ones who wronged me?


    I never asked for this. I never mentioned that I needed some superficial drama in my life, especially connected to the woman I was to marry, so both of them were out of line. Badly.


    "When we made that agreement, Milly was married," the old man suddenly joined the conversation, drawing all attention to himself. "I never. No, it''s that no one could ever predict what the future holds. We never thought that a disaster would strike and leave my poor Milly tossed into the nightmare she calls life. I never nned to tell anyone she''s my daughter, we agreed it''s best to keep the secret to get rid of the demons that chased her and could get to her through me. See, there always is more than meets the eye and unless you''re ready to listen, I think it''s best I go to my daughter''s pack."


    Now, the whole situation somehow got turned upside down on me. As much as I hated to admit this - he had caught my attention. What could possibly be so damn bad for these two to hide their family ties? What were the demons that were chasing Milly then?


    Although I wasn''t sure if this would do anything, I still remained silent and sat back down, watching them both. Maybe if I didn''t show any reaction, they would be morefortable speaking to me?


    "Okay," I breathed out. "I might have overreacted just now. My apologies. Please, speak and exin everything you can. I will do my best to remain open minded and ensure I don''t overstep or pry."


    Milly and the old man nodded, but instead of him, Milly was the one who spoke again. "That girl, she''s not my sister. She doesn''t know that. No one knows. In fact, she thinks I''m her step-sister, the adopted one. My dad took her in and agreed to keep her safe. We don''t have too many details but it was said that it was too dangerous for her to stay with her family or return to them in the future. My dad agreed to raise her and look for a good husband for her. That''s how we got here."


    Nodding, I hummed as I thought about her words. Wherever my bride came from, I had a feeling it had to be a very known and powerful family if it was dangerous for her to stay around.


    "Okay. What about the demons? What is chasing you then?" I asked and leaned forward a little, genuinely curious about the answer I might get from her.


    Milly averted her gaze and sucked in a sharp breath. "Not demons. A demon. You know him. It''s Bane."

 149: Risk your life for me.

    **Zion


    pov**


    It wasn''t too promising, but Bane imed he would return home as soon as he could. There was something wrong with him, even he admitted something had happened. Other than a few superficial details, he wasn''t willing to share everythingpletely and I just had to take it.


    I promised I would look after the pack and Aife until he got here even though I wasn''t sure why I had to make that promise in the first ce. I was his second inmand, clearly it was a part of my responsibility.


    I did a quick run around the pack, checked on people and guards, and then, returned to my bedroom.


    Since Aife was taken from the hospital and brought to hers and Bane''s room, there wasn''t too much for me to worry about anymore and I could focus on my little spitfire.


    Unlocking the door and opening it, my eyes instantly fell on her small frame, spread across the bed. I had to hold back the chuckle of amusement, seeing how she clearly loved to take up as much space as she could.


    I tip-toed inside the bedroom and locked the door again. I needed this moment of privacy more than ever and knowing that the pack was safe meant no one could take this from me.


    Kicking off my shoes and pulling my shirt over my head, I neared the bed. Once I stood right next to it, I contemted removing my pants, but decided against it. There was no saying if K would appreciate waking up to a half-naked man next to her.


    Never in my life had I felt this nervous about getting in bed with someone. Maybe the anxiety had to do with the fact that I was actually about to sleep next to my mate, maybe it was something else, but I had to get rid of that feeling. They said she needed my scent and warmth, so that was what she would get.


    I tried to be as quiet as I could as I slowly slid under the covers andid on my side. The questions in my mind were overwhelming my ability to act so I stalled a little.


    All I wanted was to wrap my arms around her and pull her so close, we could be one... But that was what I wanted. I had no idea if she felt the same.


    The answer came to me in a rather unexpected way. Sensing my presence, K moved closer to me, grabbed my hand and tossed my arm over herself. "I''m cold, please warm me up," she muttered, moving even closer than before.


    I hated how weak and helpless she sounded, but I would be a liar if I imed I didn''t enjoy and appreciate the attention she was giving me. How freaking selfish was I?


    "I''m so cold," she repeated and her body instantly started shivering.


    Tightening my hold around her, I couldn''t get rid of the feeling of helplessness. How was I supposed to act, what was I supposed to do to help?


    Thest thing one wants to see or experience was the pain of their mate. And K was mine, in all senses of the word, yet I couldn''t be the man she needed right now. There was nothing I could give or offer but my presence.


    "I know baby, I know. They told me you''d be cold and will need me to keep you warm, so try to focus on that. Just try to focus on getting better, please," as I spoke, my voice broke mid-sentence.


    I felt like an absolute failure. She was the one suffering, she was the one who risked her life to protect mine, yet I acted like I was in pain.


    Never had I thought that the Goddess would ever bless me with a mate, so I never considered what behavior would be appropriate next to one so now that I was simply hit with the fact of her existence.. Honestly, I felt a little lost.


    "So, so cold," she repeated. At this point, even her teeth started chattering and body shivered so violently, I seriously thought that getting her to the doctors would be better.


    As the idea popped in my mind, I quickly opened a mind-link.


    *"Doc, got a second?"*


    It didn''t take long for him to answer. *"Beta Zion, how may I help you?"*


    *"Okay, quick question first so I know I''m not interrupting anything important. How''s Aife? Is she okay?"* While my mind was gone, focusing on the conversation, my body acted on its own and pulled K even closer.


    Deep down, I still had this insane fear of her, slipping right through my fingers and running away to never be found again. She had no idea how important she was to me, how much I needed her and how desperately I feared the day we might be apart.


    *"Luna is okay, she just needs some rest, that''s all. Whatever your mate did, it worked. We think she will sleep and tomorrow, she''ll be as good as new. The hospital is quiet, we don''t have anything urgent to do, so I''m all ears. What can I help with?"*


    I felt like a massive weight just fell off my shoulders. Bane wouldn''t have to worry too much, he could take the time to heal and return as strong as ever, so at least that was good.


    *"What can I do to help my mate? She''s freezing up, her body won''t stop shaking and I''m growing very worried here. The only thing she has told me so far is that she''s cold. What do I do to help her?"* Although the doctor couldn''t see me, as soon as the questions spilled out, I held my breath, eager to listen to anything he might suggest.


    After an awkward pause, the doctor finally spoke. *"You need toy on top of her, Beta. That is the best way to share your body heat and since she will be trapped between you and bed, you''ll provide warmth to her entire body. Hope this helps, I need to go. Apologies."*


    As soon as he cut the mind-link, I chuckled. Talk about ufortable.


    But s, instead of focusing on everything else, I did as I was told. First, I pulled my arm off K and nearly gave into her whims when she whimpered and cried out. "No, don''t go."


    "I''m not going anywhere, baby. I just mind-linked the pack doctor, he told me it''s better if Iy on top of you to keep your entire body warm. Don''t worry, I won''t take advantage of the situation and force myself onto you. For now, all that matters is that you get better," I whispered, a little unsure if she would agree.


    I was a firm believer that consent mattered the most, but I also knew that I wouldn''t let her reject my attempts to help. If the doctor told me I had to do it - I would, with or without her consent. Her health came first so this would be the only, or possibly the rare urrence when I didn''t care about her opinion.


    But to my surprise, she agreed. "Okay, I''m just very cold."


    Carefully, I moved so I couldy on top of her and keep her warm. For most part, I hovered over her as there was no way I would force my entire body weight on her. After a few minutes, she wasn''t shaking as badly and appeared like she was slowlying back to her senses.


    "Why did you do it? Why did you risk your life for me?" I had to ask before she fell asleep. I needed the answer more than I needed my next breath.


    Her eyes were closed, but I swear, I felt like K was gazing into mine as a beautiful smile spread across her lips and she whispered, "maybe I don''t want to, but I love my mate."

 150: Clawless cat.

    **Aife


    pov**


    As I woke up, I was surprised to see that I was in our bedroom. Bane still wasn''t here, it felt like he hadn''t been around for ages already, but I really couldn''t expect that one bad thing that happened in the pack would force him to return. While I hated the fact, I understood enough to know that he was on a mission of sorts and unless he got to where he needed to be, he wouldn''t return.


    A sudden sense of sadness overwhelmed me. I couldn''t pin-point what was wrong, but I had a gut feeling that with the return of Bane woulde more issues and heartache.


    Shaking my head, I focused on anything but that feeling. Kicking off the nket, I got out of the bed and slowly walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower.


    The cold water was refreshing and woke me up in no time. Today, just like other days, I grabbed one of Bane''s shirts just to feel a little closer to him and enjoy his scent. After I was dressed, I instantly walked downstairs to the kitchen, towards the loudest chatter to find out everything they could tell me about what happened to me.


    Like any other morning, the kitchen was packed with women,ughing and enjoying themselves as they worked. Since they didn''t notice me at first, I grinned and shouted, "good morning!"


    All of them jumped, some even screamed, so I couldn''t hold back theughter even if I tried.


    "Goddess gracious, Luna you startled us," one of the women huffed, fanning her face as if she was experiencing a heat wave.


    "Sorry," I shrugged and walked closer to them. "I had to get your attention somehow since you didn''t see me. Anyway, what are you doing? Can I help?"


    With the offer out, I grinned at them, but the amused mood quickly disappeared as all of them frowned and one of the cooks stepped closer. "What is it with you high ranking women trying to help us today? You''re the second one to enter the kitchen with the same question."


    Since she sounded genuinely curious and not spiteful, I simply shrugged and answered, "I''m not sure who was the first one, so I can''t speak for her. I, however, don''t like sitting back and letting others do everything on their own." As they exchanged nces, the tension slowly faded from the kitchen and soon, some chuckles echoed against the walls.


    "The first one was Beta''s mate. We sent her to the garden to pick some flowers and decorate the living and dining room with them. Since we''re on a tight schedule with breakfast and the responsibilities have already been assigned, maybe you want to join her? I know it''s not my ce to say things like these, but you two could get to know each other in the garden. Sounds like a great bonding experience, doesn''t it?"


    It was sad how scared the rest of the women looked at the one who spoke. As if she was stepping over the line and ordering me around while in reality she had a great idea and I truly appreciate her input.


    Letting the others act like I was some sort of monster from nightmares, I happily nodded my head and thanked the cook for her suggestion.


    Something about the kitchen staff had changed. Very drastically. Just recently they epted me as one of their own and didn''t mind the help, but now, all of them wanted me as far from them as possible. Odd.


    I used the back door to get to the garden faster and instantly noticed K, standing surrounded by beautiful roses, tears streaming down her cheeks.


    Panic gripped me so I ran towards her. Once I reached her, I realized she was stuck in her own world, overwhelmed by her thoughts, so I was careful when I reached out and ced my hand on hers. "Hey, what''s the matter? Why are you crying?"


    K jumped and let out a loud yelp as she yanked her hand away from me, pure horror written all over her features. It didn''t seem that she was scared of me, more like I just startled her.


    As the tears didn''t stop, I assumed the worst and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "It''s Zion, isn''t it? You rejected him and now, all of a sudden, you regret what you did that it''s toote, right?"


    I knew attacking her with this question wasn''t the right thing to do, but I couldn''t help it. Zion had already cried too many tears for her. He had been obsessed with her ever since he figured out that she was his mate, while K, sadly, had no idea how to appreciate him or acknowledge the love Zion felt for her.


    But to my utter surprise, she quickly started wiping off the tears and shaking her head so violently, I feared it might fall off. "No, I didn''t reject him. I wanted to, but I can''t. And besides, he''s not the reason why I''m acting like a wimp here." Dropping my arms to my side, I stepped closer to her and whispered, "if he''s not the reason, why are you crying? I''m sorry for attacking you like that, it was wrong and I shouldn''t have. I know better. But I''m also very worried about Zion. It doesn''t excuse what I did, though, so again, I''m sorry."


    "Apology epted," K muttered and nced over my shoulder.


    Looking back, I noticed two guards, standing by the back entrance, watching us. Since I didn''t believe we could haveplete privacy, the least I could do was to lead K further away from their gazes.


    Reaching out and grabbing her hand, I pulled K away from the area and closer to the rows of benches to sit down. Once we did, I looked around and focused most of my attention on the flowers, giving her some time to calm down. "It''s the flowers," she sniffled. "Back home when my mom didn''t hate me, she nted the same and we used to work in the gardens together. Those flowers were her pride and joy, so they remind me of everything I lost. That''s why I cried." Her voice was barely a whisper, but I heard every word, loud and clear.


    "I don''t want to pry too much ore across as rude, but what do you mean when you im your mother hates you? And what is home to you?" I spat out the questions without thinking, instantly regretting it and wishing I could take it all back.


    A bitter chuckle left her. "Because she does. She thinks I''m the cause of all her problems. But don''t mind it, it''s not like anyone cares about the story a cat could tell," she shook her head, looking a little amazed that she had said anything at all. I ced my hand on hers and smiled at K. "I want to know. I care. Tell me."


    She sucked in a deep breath and searched my eyes for something. Once she realized she couldn''t find what she looked for, K nodded. "My mom hates me because she had to raise me alone after my father died. Then, when I was a teenager, she remarried a pretty powerful man. Something happened between them, all I know is that she used me of seducing him while I didn''t do anything. She arranged the ceremony, the elders took my ws and then they banished me from home because a cat without ws isn''t a cat. After that, I came across the witches who sent me here and served them for a roof over my head and a te of food ever since."


    Another chuckle escaped her, this one darker, almost as if she was in disbelief. "There you go, a part of the unfortunate tale of a wless cat."

 151: Black magic.

    **K


    pov**


    I told her everything. Just like that, as if it was the easiest thing in the universe - I told her my deepest, darkest secrets and didn''t even stutter as I did.


    For years, I have held my past in the dark, doing everything to keep it hidden from everyone who could ask, but here I was, just bbing it all out to someone I didn''t know at all.


    What was happening to me? Sure, Luna was nice to me, she didn''t attack me and never really med me for everything I did, but was that enough for me to trust her as blindly as I did? Maybe this was the effect Zion had on me. He appeared far too trusting for his good and because of him, I was letting my guard down too. I shouldn''t have done that. This was too dangerous.


    I knew first hand how much trouble coulde if I opened up and let anyone hear my story. So far, I had told it only to Salem and she used those facts against me every single day - she took my pain and weakness and turned it all into her weapon to hurt me even more.


    "I''m so sorry, K. That sounds awful, I''m really sorry for what you had to go through. No one deserves to be treated like that, especially by their own parents. And to top it off, definitely not by the very parent who had carried you and given you life. I''m truly sorry to hear this part of your story," Luna muttered, looking away.


    At one point, it looked like she was wiping tears off her cheeks. The view alone made me feel bad for her, even while I knew I shouldn''t, I still did.


    How it was possible for me to feel bad for someone who had heard a part of my story, not lived it, was beyond me.


    "It''s fine, life''s unfair sometimes and things like these happen. It just goes to show that we can''t trust even the people we believe are the closest to us and have our best interest at heart," I muttered, shrugging my shoulders as if this revtion was nothing special.


    But it was. Everything that happened to me was special in one way or another. Sometimes, I didn''t bother crying or feeling sorry for myself as the witches often reminded me how it was nothing but a waste of time. But other times, I did ponder the ideas and travel back to the thoughts of the past and try to deal with my inner demons.


    While many people in my life had made it all seem like I truly didn''t matter, I did catch a few moments along the way to convince myself that I wasn''t apletely lost cause after all.


    "Life is unfair, yes, I could agree with that fact. However, I can''t agree that life is unfair because someone makes it appear like that. There is a difference between the struggles sent by the Goddess and fate and bullshit someone puts you through. Don''t let them damage your self-worth, people like that don''t deserve to have you in their lives anyway," she argued, voice bing louder with every word that escaped her lips.


    If the conversation kept progressing in the same direction as it was now, I knew she would start shouting and attracting unneeded attention so I had to calm her down.


    "Do you have any idea what happened to you and how you got better?" I asked, crossing my fingers in hope of sessfully distracting her and changing the topic.


    "Well," she dragged the word and hummed, taking a moment to think. "I kind of remember a thing or two and I was told you helped me, but I''m not sure how. Now that you remind me of it, I was meaning to ask what did you do?" From the corner of my eye, I could see how her cheeks turned pink, which gave out that she had an approx idea of what happened. Maybe, as funny as it seemed, now she was assuming I was a lesbian and loved kissing women. "I had to share my blood," I said without offering too many details to avoid making her ufortable. "Ever since I was epted into the Coven as my witch''s pet, I have earned a purpose. Or at least that was what the witches told me. They cast a spell and made sure that my blood could undo the damage they could inflict to each other. In short, my blood isn''t some miracle medicine that will help everyone, but it sure does wonders to fix what ck magic has broken." As soon as I finished speaking, she turned her entire body to face me. "ck magic?" Luna repeated, eyes widening in shock, her jaw hanging so low, it could hit the ground at any given moment.


    "Yeah, the Coven that took me in is connected to the ck magic and shady rituals. From what I gather, witches aren''t quite loved and epted so this bunch decided that since people already have their assumptions about them, they might as well just go with it."


    The longer she stared at me, the more ufortable I became. At one point, I started shifting in my seat in an attempt to focus on anything but her gaze, burning holes in my skin.


    It seemed that my attempt to change the topic wasn''t as good of an idea as I initially assumed. Maybe I shoulde up with something else and distract her again? The only issue was that since I didn''t know her too well, I wasn''t sure if she would catch on what I was doing and call me out. I wasn''t the biggest fan of confrontation and arguments that usually followed that.


    "So, since we''re alone and no one can hear us, I too wanted to ask a question. It''s about Zion," I added thest part in a whisper, hoping that the secretive approach would catch her off guard and we could forget the topics we already discussed.


    My words worked like a charm. Luna nodded her head and grinned, sitting a little closer to me and grabbing my hand to hold it. "Yes, please, let''s discuss him. How are you two? I heard he took you to his bedroom and tended to you. The pack''s doctor said Zion was very worried about your recovery, which is unlike him given how he usually takes everything way easier than others do. Oh, also, have you changed your mind about the rejection? We would love to have you as a part of our pack. And even more, we would love to see you as the Beta female of the pack too."


    My head started spinning as she kept listing all of those things. Moments ago, I was unsure of my decision - while my mind knew that epting Zion might turn out to be the biggest mistake of my lifetime, my heart wanted him. So, so badly, I almost felt like the muscle pumped blood though my body only because of him.


    But now, as Luna was bringing up all those things about joining a pack of wolves and standing high in the ranks, I really didn''t want that. I didn''t want to be the odd one out all over again. If I had to choose between living among the enemy and being tortured by the witches, I rather chose the torture over anything.

 152: Can I keep it a secret?

    **Aife


    pov**


    The more time passed, the more I feared what could be her answer.


    K was a beautiful and smart woman. I knew she was kind and caring too, even though she would probably deny that or try to downy the fact. I didn''t want to give her the chance to do so, but I also feareding at her too hard. This was her decision - something that would impact her entire life and all I could do was to listen and ept the decision she had made.


    "I don''t want to be a part of this pack or Beta anything," she suddenly blurted out, pulling her hand away and jumping to her feet.


    My gaze didn''t leave her as K started backing away and shook her head as if I had tried to attack her.


    While I hadn''t seen many panic attacks happening to others, I knew one when I saw it and K was experiencing just that.


    Before she could have a chance to run away, I approached her and grabbed her face in my hands. Once our eyes met, I whispered, "breathe, K, don''t forget to breathe. You''re having a panic attack, you need to focus on my voice, not run away."


    I tried my best to sound convincing even though deep inside, I was starting to panic too. No one had told me how to calm someone who was struggling before, so I wasn''t sure if I was doing the right thing.


    K started sucking in deep breaths and exhaling very slowly after every one she took. We stood facing each other for a couple of minutes until I realized her hands weren''t shaking anymore and her body had rxed a little.


    I pulled my hands away from her face and grabbed her hand again, leading her back to the bench to sit down and try to talk again.


    "I came too strong, I see that now. It was my fault and I apologize for being so inconsiderate," I started with the easiest part.


    K just shook her head and muttered, "no need to apologize, I was overreacting again, not your fault."


    Everything within me screamed I should p some sense in her. It was so painful to watch K me herself for everything that was happening in her life - it was some twisted insanity.


    Maybe we didn''t know each other too good, but Zion clearly cared for her a lot so I instantly did too. Whoever he loved, I loved them too. And Zion loved K so she automatically became one of my favorite people.


    "I wasn''t implying that you are under the obligation to join or be someone, okay? I need you to know that it wasn''t my intention to force anything onto you. What I was trying to do was to tell you that the pack and people would open you with their arms open, like a real family would." I exined.


    "Yeah, it looks like I really did overreact here, right?" K chuckled.


    Words didn''t seem to work on her and it was far too soon to start proving her something with actions. K wasn''t ready for the crazy that coulde into her life with epting Zion just yet.


    "He''s a good guy, you know. I''m not saying that only because he''s my friend or the Beta of this pack. I''m being as truthful as I can with you now. Zion is truly an amazing and caring man. I know it might be hard to believe this, but he would do anything for you if only you would allow him to."


    K started nodding in agreement even before I could finish up with everything I wanted to tell her.


    Funny how she already knew how great of a catch Zion was, how amazing it would be for anyone to have him as their mate, yet she kept stalling.


    What was it exactly that held her back? Whatever it was, it had to be something huge for her to have a reaction as sharp as she had right now. "K?" I whispered her name to grab her attention.


    "Yes?" She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.


    "May I ask you a deeply personal question? One that might be triggering, I understand the risks, but I really need an answer."


    I held my breath and waited. From my perspective, it looked like K was battling a million thoughts every second, unable to grasp even one or take any decision.


    However, to my utter surprise, she shed me a smile and nodded. "I already told you too much anyway so what''s the harm in telling youpletely everything, right?"


    The words she chose sounded bitter, in a way, but her voice was soft andforting, so I wasn''t sure how to feel about her response.


    "Only if you arefortable with it, okay?" I tried my best toe across as supportive and understanding, knowing damn well I wouldn''t be able to sleep if she decided not to answer my questions at thest moment. "I''mfortable with you around." K muttered and averted her gaze, focusing on something far in the distance.


    Letting out a heavy breath, I gave her a moment to think. It would be too selfish of me to demand anything from her and misuse the power I had in this pack. She thought she was talking to Luna of the pack, not the Alpha''s girlfriend, so that had to force some pressure onto her.


    "Why do you hate us so much?" I finally spat out the question, unable to keep quiet for any longer.


    Her head shot in my direction, eyes wide. "What? I-I didn''t say I hate you." She stammered, clearly taken aback.


    "No, you didn''t," I shook my head for emphasis. "But you did mention your hatred for the entire species plenty of times too, so I was wondering if you would like to share the answer or reason for that hate at all."


    Trying to make myself sound like this was yet another casual conversation with literally anyone proved to be harder than expected. I wasn''t sure if I sounded like I didn''t care or if in K''s eyes, I was some dying seel, barely choking out the words because of the amount of stress I was under.


    "Can I keep it a secret?" K finally muttered. "Admitting something like that might be a little embarrassing for me," she added.


    "Why embarrassing? Also, I don''t want to force you to answer my questions, but I really would love to get an answer from you. I know I won''t be able to sleep for a long time. I''m too curious for my own good."


    K sucked in a deep breath and held it. The action was enough for me to realize that she wasn''t nning on answering me.


    That is, until after a couple of minutes of silenceter, I stood up and spun on my heel, ready to leave her behind, but K had different ns.


    "I might despise my mother, she might have hated me throughout my entire life, but she still didn''t deserve to die. First, it was my dad and then her. The wolves took their lives. They took the only family I had, as dysfunctional as it was, it still was my family. And now, I''m thest remaining living person in our bloodline. Maybe you can decide for me... What should I do? Will I really give up the entire bloodline and mix it with someone, whose species are responsible for the demise of mine?"

 153: I understand.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The main problem that I had was the constant tiredness. Everyone around me treated me like a ticking time bomb, and that too, was getting on my nerves.


    Barely a day had passed since the call with Zion, I was more than ready to leave this ce and return home, but no matter how many times I insisted I had to leave - nobody listened.


    Sure, I didn''t have to exin myself and the things I was about to do to others, but while I understood that much, I also couldn''t get rid of the fear within me.


    He was getting stronger, he sought revenge, and for some twisted reason, he decided to target Aife. As much as I wanted to go home, deep down, I was scared. Terrified.


    Aife''s safety mattered more than my whims and needs. I couldn''t live with myself if anything happened to her just because I was too stubborn to listen to the warnings.


    Sitting up in the bed, I stretched my sore muscles and groaned right when the door to the room opened and a nurse entered. She shed me a quick, shy smile, but didn''t keep her eyes on me for too long. That was a thing in this pack, as it seemed. They never held eye contact with me, never looked at me for too long and never bothered to try and start a conversation. At best, I got a couple of generic questions. "How are you feeling today, Alpha?" She muttered the line that really was starting to get on my nerves. So professional and uptight...


    "I''m much better, thank you. And you?" I grinned, fighting the need to toss something her way or go berserk.


    My issues weren''t something that would bother most people, but the stress of this situation coupled with nothing but boring walls and a few words from the staff every four hours was getting to me.


    "d to hear, Alpha. I will leave your prescription pills here, please take two after every meal." She added, cing a small pill container on the nightstand next to my bed.


    Seeing how she wasn''t going to focus on conversations with me and probably nned to run out of here as soon as possible, I knew I had to do something.


    I reached out and grabbed her wrist - barely tightly enough to ensure she wouldn''t be able to flee, but lightly enough for her not to feel any pain.


    The nurse jumped and let out a yelp. She attempted to pull away her hand, but I didn''t let go and spoke before she could start screaming bloody murderer. "Please. All I want is to talk. Some answers would be amazing - you can leave this ce as soon as I get them. I won''t hurt you, promise."


    "H-how do I know y-you won''t hurt me?" She stammered, eyes focused on my grip around her wrist.


    "If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it ages ago. Think about it - how many opportunities I already had? You''ve been in this room what, like five times, six? Every time, I could have, but I didn''t. Yet, I did try to start a conversation. If that doesn''t speak volumes to you, I don''t know what will."


    I had a feeling that I could reason with her if only I chose the right words.


    Back in the day, before he started surfacing so often and ruining my life, I was a different person. Then, I was able tomunicate with anyone and hold a conversation if only for being pleasant without fearing the risk of showing the other side of me.


    Now, I had to learn how to do that all over again, if I wanted anyone in this pack to talk to me and give me the answers I so desperately needed.


    The nurse gulped so loud, the sound echoed against the walls of this damned room. Then, she nodded her head and carefully pulled her hand out of my hold, realizing I wasn''t holding her tightly enough to have her trapped to begin with. "You''re right, Alpha. I know that if you wanted to hurt anyone here, you could do that any given moment. I would apologize for my behavior, but I won''t. We all act out of our character when strong emotions are involved. And with you, I can''t help but feel terrified. Let''s face the fact - the stories about you aren''t exactly the stories about a nice man. I''m sure you understand." She muttered, still standing near the bed.


    First of all, this was the most amount of words I have gotten out of anyone here. Besides the Alpha of the pack and the king, of course. Second, the fact that she wasn''t running away while screaming gave me the impression that she wasn''t as scared as she imed to be.


    Nodding, I offered her a quick smile. "I understand."


    My eyes didn''t leave the nurse as she scanned the room and started switching her weight from one leg to another. Clearly, she was nervous, but at least she didn''t leave again.


    "You may ask any questions, but first, I want to ask one of my own," she blurted out and the next moment, her eyes grew wide as she pped a hand over her mouth.


    I supposed the old pack rules were still working over here. No one was allowed to question the Alpha while back home, I weed the questions for most part. Openmunication builds a better society than secretive behavior. "Okay, sounds fair to me. Go on, ask the question," I agreed, ignoring her reaction andying back on the bed to get a little morefortable.


    I had no idea what had happened exactly, but my spine was killing me. Maybe that was something silver had affected the most in my body, but if I sat up or stood for too long, insane waves of pain traveled through it, making it nearly impossible for me to remain in the upright position for longer periods of time.


    "Why are you doing all of those things? Attacking the packs, taking women? Are you nning to do the same thing here?"


    From the corner of my eye, I could see the look of disbelief on her face. The poor thing was in shock for her own bluntless. Little did she know I appreciate honesty and straightforwardness more than anything.


    "I have my reasons," I chuckled. "The stories you hear are nothing more than that - stories. You see, sometimes to build respect, you must be feared so when people speak of my doings, I don''t bother to correct them. For the outside world, I am a monster, a soulless creature who attacks the packs for no reason. For my own world, that of my pack, we do things for a reason - we help. Ridding the world of awful leaders who torture their people seems like a good deed to me. I''m not here to excuse my behavior, so don''t take my words as such. Just know that everything I do, I do for a reason."


    The nurse nodded and remained silent, as if she needed a moment to process my words and the information she had just learned.


    Once again, the room grew silent. While any other day I would appreciate the silence, today, I was sick and tired of it. I have had too much of it already, it was driving me insane at this point.


    "You can ask your questions now, I promise to answer to my best ability," she finally spoke, startling me a little.


    "When can I leave this ce and go home? I''m sure the rest of the pack is waiting for the day of my departure as well."


    And again, she became visibly nervous, doing the same thing as earlier - looking anywhere but at me.


    "So you haven''t noticed the restraints on your bed yet? I''m sorry, but I don''t think it will happen as soon as you or some of this pack members hope it will. Alpha, whenever you fall asleep, something happens to you and you start raging. We know it''s not you because the eyes are not the same, but you''re not ready to leave just yet. Whatever is happening to you, it''s not safe for anyone and especially a woman named Aife. You scream her name in a demonic voice and promise to kill her."

 154: Chosen Luna.

    **Bane


    pov**


    "Aife is my chosen Luna," I whispered, the words feeling like they were stuck in my throat. "She is the only woman who has been able to ept me the way I am, even after the dreadful things I have done to her. In all honesty, I''m not here to tell you my life story, but I can admit some things. I don''t deserve her. Even a hair on her head - I don''t deserve it. But I''m selfish and I''m still holding onto her as if she''s my lifeline."


    I had no idea why I was telling this stranger those things. A stranger that harbored such deep hatred for me, but I still did. Maybe deep down, I knew I had to say those words to someone, just to make them more real.


    My thoughts were one thing. I could admit many things to myself, in the privacy of my head, never to be spoken out loud. But now, I needed to admit it all to someone and she just happened to be the person who agreed to talk to me now. "Oh," the nurse breathed out and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn''t look at me, nor offer me the pitiful gaze that others would, so I appreciated that. "If she is your chosen Luna, if she wants to be with you, why are you saying those things? I don''t mind to pry too much, it''s none of my business, but I can''t help but wonder. Clearly, no matter how bad you were with her, she''s with you for a reason, right?"


    A funny thing life was. A leader, a feared man, an Alpha,ying on the bed as helpless as I was,ing clean with a stranger who had a damn point.


    I never really thought of this too much. A part of me sometimes feared that Aife was with me because she feared me or pitied the man I was. But the nurse, she really had a point.


    If Aife didn''t want to be with me, she wouldn''t. Now that I was gone and the whole pack looked at her like Luna, not a reject, she had every chance to leave and disappear. At any given moment, she could up and go, and no one could stop her. Not now that she had the voice of a Luna.


    I gave her that power. I knew the risk and took it. And she.. Well, she proved all over again that she could be trusted, that she stayed because she wanted to.


    "I guess you''re right," I chuckled in an attempt to make a light out of this situation. "I guess I''m saying those things because deep down, I know I don''t deserve her, that''s all."


    "But why?" She kept pressing, growing a little impatient. "Why are you so hard on yourself? Let''s discuss this as twopletely neutral strangers, shall we? I will pretend I don''t know who you are and I haven''t heard the stories about you." I raised an eyebrow at her just as the nurse turned her whole body to face me. "So, do we have a deal?" She asked.


    A little hesitant, I nodded. After all, I was the one who wanted to talk, right? Maybe initially, I didn''t weigh the risks of which direction the conversation might flow, but I still started it so backing out would be a true coward move. "Alright, we have a deal. Ask away then."


    She shed me a quick, reassuring smile and ced her hands in herp. "Let''s start with the easiest question then. Why are you so hard on yourself? I don''t want to assume anything, but to me, it looks like you harbor a very deep, unexinable hatred for yourself. It''s not healthy so let''s get to the bottom of this madness."


    I gave her a quick once-over and pondered the question for a second or two. The thing was that I already knew the answer. I had always known. But admitting it out loud felt like the worst nightmare, the biggest fear. And yet, somehow I had found myself in a situation where I was about to admit that all willingly, to aplete stranger, as if saying those words wouldn''t fuck me over even worse than I already was.


    Clearing my throat, I shook my head, still in disbelief that I was actually doing this. "The hatred, it''s there. It''s not something I chose to do or decided one day that it would be cool to hate myself. Nope. It''s not up to me, is what I''m trying to say. It''s been there, deep within me since the day I was born. Call it a curse of a bloodline, if you may."


    A part of me wished she wouldn''t have more questions while the other was eager to keep answering. I felt like an excited kid on Christmas day, facing the presents that were left under the tree only for me. It was an odd feeling, but in a way, fulfilling.


    Coming clean with someone was hard for anyone, but for me, it was freeing. Like I could finally answer the questions I had asked myself time and time again without knowing answers, but now, they all came to me.


    "Is that what that man is?" The nurse asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    I stared at her like an idiot, unable to process what she was asking me. "Huh?" Was the only thing I could say. Unless she exined, I doubted I would catch on her trail of thoughts.


    "Oh, sorry, I guess I should add more to that question," she waved me off and giggled. How we went from mortal enemies to some sort of friends in a matter of minutes was beyond me. One moment she was scared and now, she joked around. "What I meant was that man that surfaces when you''re asleep. You know, the one with mad red eyes, the one who demands blood and all that."


    The tips of her ears turned bright red the moment thest word escaped her lips. I would assume she felt self-conscious all of a sudden or maybe she feared that she was digging too deep in my business.


    "I guess you can put it like that. A curse of bloodline, yeah, sounds pretty urate," I answered as nonchntly as I could.


    Thest thing I wanted was to make her feel ufortable or scare her away. At this point, she was the only person who could waste some time with me and rid me of the sense of loneliness that I really didn''t want to experience. Before Aife came into my life, I didn''t mind the loneliness. In fact, I weed it. I never let myself think that I deserved anyone, especially as kind as her. But after every mistake I made, after the abuse I inflicted and countless times I hurt her, Aife still showed me kindness and love.


    Aife proved to me that I was more than I thought I was. She showed me kindness I had never seen, she made a point to let me know that love came without conditions, without expectations and demands.


    She was so gentle, so pure and beautiful, just thinking about her made butterflies go to war in my stomach. The image she etched in my mind was something that always made me feel incredibly warm and even happy. Happiness.. Wow, who would have thought that someone like me would experience it. Who would have thought that I deserved even a fraction of what Aife gave me..


    "So, in that case, hmm," the nurse dragged the words, making sure she spoke slowly enough for me to catch on every word and pay attention to what she had to say. "I don''t see a reason why you should hate yourself." She announced and got to her feet, walking towards the door.


    As soon as she stopped in front of it and grabbed the handle, she nced over her shoulder and smiled. "For one, if it means anything, after talking to you, I know you''re not half as bad as I thought. Also, let this be something you need to think about why would you hate yourself for something that isn''t your fault? Something you can''t change or control.. Just think about it. Oh, and don''t forget to take the medicine after each meal, the kitchen staff will bring you some food shortly."


    As I watched her exit the room, I was too stunned to speak. Once again, she had a damn point. Why have I been ming myself for something that waspletely out of my control? Something I didn''t cause, a curse I didn''t earn..

 155: Tell me this is a lie.

    *TW: MENTION OF ASSAULT* **Killian


    pov**


    "I can''t fucking believe this!" I growled. The anger that I felt rose within me was like nothing I had experienced before. How was it possible that every step and turn I took, somehow, I still was faced with that asshole? Ever since we were kids, he had always been the better one. The one with a more promising future, more Alpha features, better at literally anything. No matter what we did, Bane always ended up one step ahead. As we grew up, our friendship started fading and in no time, we were grown men, not the children that used to love spending time together and now, we hated each other with passion.


    Every little thing either of us did became a stupidpetition. And now, not only he managed to snag the woman I was promised to be wed to, but also, he was connected to Milly, the widow of my closest friend. The moon Goddess was testing me. She kept fucking me over every chance I got, just to rub it in my face that Bane still was the better one. This shit was unfair. Beyond unfair.


    "I can''t believe it! How are you, of all people, you, Milly, how are you connected to him? Why would you ever think of getting close to that asshole, especially after learning everything about the man he is? How could you do this to me? And to mindlessly marry my closest friend while being connected to the man he despised? How dare you enter my house, use the hospitality my pack and myself are showing while knowing what you did? Aren''t you ashamed of yourself?" At this point, I was so enraged, I was screaming at the top of my lungs.


    Usually, I tried to keep myposure, but now, even if the entire pack heard me scream, I didn''t care.


    They too deserve to know that we have let a rat inside our lives. We have kept an enemy right under our noses without knowing the true intentions she had and treated her like a dear friend.


    This.. This right here was why I hated people so much. Why I was so passionate about keeping my inner circle as small as possible to ensure no one would betray me.


    But once again, fate wasn''t on my side. I epted her, I loved her like my own sister and she threw it all away as if my affection and care didn''t mean shit to her.


    If this wasn''t a true betrayal at its core, I didn''t know what it was.


    "Killian, I beg you, please listen to what she has to say before you lose your cool. It might seem very bad but unless you hear her story, you will never know the truth. My Milly has gone through hell and back because of that man, you don''t know half of it," the old man insisted, standing up and trying to approach me.


    In his eyes, I was a wild animal, forced into a corner, desperate to escape. And maybe I was, but who gave a damn about it? There was no way I would let him anywhere close to me, no way I would allow this traitor to tame my anger and trick me into another trap of theirs.


    Lifting my hand, I barely held back from attacking them both. As soon as he stopped in his step, I knew I could hold myself together for as long as he didn''t try to get too close to me.


    "Talk," I forced the word through gritted teeth.


    In all honesty, I didn''t think they had any idea how much I was really struggling here. Everyone in my life knew that I had some serious issues with Bane, yet some fuckheads decided to still get him involved in one way or another. The old man started backing up. Fucking thankfully. The further away from me he got, the better I felt. Finally, the sensation of something heavy being stuck on my chest faded and I could breathe all over again.


    "Give her some time, okay? Don''t interrupt her, Milly has been through enough as it is, there''s no need to add more trauma to her list. And keep in mind that she mentioned a demon, not an ally or a friend. That''s what Bane is to her - a demon of her past that still haunts her. Please, Killian, I beg you, for everything you hold dear, let her exin herself. Just look at her. She''s scared. Scared of you and finally letting her fear be seen by others. This situation is harder to her than it ever could be for you," he kept talking.


    Before he could spit out more bullshit, I interrupted him with a loud, threatening growl and red at the shameless man. "You don''t know what''s hard for me, you don''t know my fucking story so don''t try to put words in my mouth!" While I expected he could back off, the fool didn''t. Instead, he doubled down with more force and actually took a step closer, forcing the uneasy feeling back on me.


    "I don''t care, alright? I don''t care! While you act like a child because Bane has be your trigger for some unfortunate reason, he is the reason for my daughter''s trauma! He tortured her, he humiliated her and made her into a shell of her former self. He took everything from her and then, he took my Milly from me. Don''t tell me it''s hard on you if you haven''t gotten a taste of actual Bane''s doings!"


    My eyes darted to Milly. Her cheeks were red and tears streamed down them. No matter how mad I was, I couldn''t help but feel sad for her. She was in so much pain, yet I stood here as if only I mattered.


    Taking a few deep breaths, I closed my eyes and focused on happy thoughts. The moments of silence felt like an eternity but at least they waited until I came back to my senses.


    "Okay, I can listen now," I gave in and opened my eyes to look at Milly. Whatever she was about to tell me would make or break the situation. Whatever he did to her.. I wasn''t sure how I would react to her secrets.


    "I think it''s better if you sit down for this conversation," Milly whispered and focused her gaze to the floor.


    Whenever she got like this - so quiet, unsure of herself, sad and slowly isting everyone, I got truly worried about her well-being. Milly has always been someone so open and happy, especially among people, it was weird to see her like this. While she tried to ground herself, I did as I was told and sat down, waiting for whenever she would be ready to speak.


    "It happened years ago," she started. "Even now, yearster, I get these cold, awful shivers running down the entirety of my body every time I think about that man and what he did."


    I leaned forward a little to let her know I was listening and she had my full attention. Whatever she was about to tell me would make or break our friendship for good.


    Deep down, I hoped Milly understood a lot was on the line here. This conversation might change everything.


    If it happened that her secrets weren''t half as awful as I suspected they were, I would throw her and her father out of here. I had never protected traitors, never hid them from someone they wronged and I wasn''t about to start doing that either.


    No matter what others thought of me, I was a man of my word and believed in greater good than that of a few people.


    The longer the silencested, the more suspicious I grew. What if she was focusing on trying toe up with some sick lie to fool me?


    "Milly, I get it if you need time, but if you''re taking this much time, it makes me think you''reing up with a lie. Time''s ticking, start talking," I tried to encourage her and make it known where I stood in this.


    As soon as the words left me, Milly looked up, right into my eyes. Tears brimmed hers as her bottom lip trembled and nostrils red. "He raped me. There. Happy? You know. Now, tell me how this is a lie I just came up with. Come on, go for it, me the victim, Killian. After all, you''re good at it, aren''t you?"

 156: Demon of my past.

    *TW: MENTION OF ASSAULT*


    **Killian


    pov**


    My jaw hit the floor and my eyes grew so wide, I feared they could pop out of their sockets. Of all the awful things, this wasn''t one I thought she might say.


    Milly could im Bane was abusive or bullied her, but forcing himself onto her against her will? No.. In all honesty, I didn''t even know.


    He was a piece of shit man, that was a well-known fact, but a man like that? I still had my doubts, that much was clear, so I had to find out more. I needed more information toe up with my own conclusions before I med anyone. Clearing my throat, I focused on Milly. Maybe reading her emotions and bodynguage could give me more of those answers that I needed. "Okay. I won''t me you, I won''t call you a liar and definitely won''t abuse a victim, so let''s get that clear. Now, if you''re okay with it, I would appreciate it if you gave me more details about how things went down to what happened to you. Surely, you knew him before it happened, so please, tell me everything you can." "Give me a second," she muttered and averted her gaze again. At this point, I wasn''t sure if she couldn''t look into my eyes if she was about to lie or if it was because she felt too ashamed of the things she couldn''t control. Whenever a man did something like that to a woman, in my eyes, he instantly lost every right to be called a man. No true, self-respecting man would do that to someone who was weaker than him. And if Bane did it.. Fuck, I hoped he would burn in hell.


    "Dad, could you please give us some privacy?" Milly addressed the old man.


    My eyes darted to him just as he started protesting. "Darling, I''m here to support you, don''t send me away, please. You need me here, I know you do."


    Milly shook her head. "No, dad, please go. I love you for trying to offer support, but seriously, I don''t want you to hear half of what I have to say. You have heart problems already, stress will cause more issues. Please, let me do this. I need to do this on my own, with no support system. This is for me."


    The more I listened to her, the more convinced I became that she couldn''t have lied after all. Someone who was fighting for their words like Milly was, yeah, she had gone through something awful.


    "Listen to her, please," I added, bringing his attention to me. "Milly wants this conversation to happen on her terms and right now, she''s trying to protect you from something awful. Please, give this to her."


    His eyes darted between us for a couple of times until he let out a loud groan and nodded. "Fine, if this is what you want, so be it. But I will stay around, somewhere far enough not to hear the conversation, yet close enough to be able toe here if you need me. Just shout for me, okay?"


    Milly took his hand in hers and squeezed it a little, thanking him in a whisper.


    Once the old man started walking towards the door, Milly averted her gaze again. The fact that she struggled to look at me spoke volumes of her trauma and everything this poor woman had experienced.


    Now, I felt truly bad about ever assuming that she could be lying and even more, saying that out loud. I had no business in downying her trauma and the abuse she went through.


    "I think I will start from the very beginning. Do you have time to listen?" She whispered.


    Automatically, I started nodding my head, but once I realized she wasn''t looking at me, I gave her a verbal confirmation. "All the time you need, I have it."


    "Okay," she breathed out. My muscles tensed as I waited for her answer, and the next moment, I realized she was sobbing.


    I thought about approaching her and sitting next to Milly to support her, but she didn''t want anyone near her. She was a spitfire, very open and clear about her needs, so if she ever wanted me close, she would have told me that much. "It started years ago. I met him in an ident. Dad sent me to get some groceries and we ran into each other in the local supermarket. Or, I ran into him, to make it more precise. I was so focused on the list in my hand that I didn''t pay attention to my surroundings," she muttered and instantly chuckled. "How I have wished that encounter never happened, you have no idea."


    More sobs escaped Milly while all I could do was sit here and watch her. I didn''t dare to utter a word, fearing I could say something wrong and ruin everything for her.


    While she tried to gather herself again, I started thinking about all the things I could do to Bane. Every way to torture him, every way to pay back everything he had done and give it twice as hard. The man deserved to die, but death would be too simple of a punishment for someone like him. Bane had to suffer.


    "At first," Milly started talking again. "He was your everyday regr guy with a little more charm than others. He asked me out on a date and since I was young and stupid, I waspletely overtaken by his charm. I agreed and after our first date, everything went downhill."


    Another pause. Honestly, the time she took for herself to gather her thoughts was annoying me because I wanted to know everything right now, but I also understood that I had to learn patience with a violence victim.


    "After that date, as soon as I foolishly told him I enjoyed the time we spent together, Bane announced that I was his. Iughed it off like some possessive joke, but back then, I couldn''t have known how serious he was when he made that statement."


    Finally, Milly looked at me, eyes full of tears, nose running and cheeks sunken. "Then, the next time we met, Bane told me he had chosen me as his Luna. I disagreed. I told him I enjoyed the date, but I didn''t see him as a potential love interest. I didn''t see him as more than a friend," each word that left her became louder,ced in aggression and hate.


    I was speechless. The hatred that burned in her eyes was too real to be fake. The pain on her features also was too true. As much as I, against all odds, didn''t want to believe that Bane could have fallen that low, there was no way Milly was lying.


    "He told me I''m moving in with him. I protested, but he took me back home and announced to my dad that he was taking me with him. I was to be his Luna. Dad was against it, obviously, since he saw I wasn''t okay with it. But Bane didn''t care. He stole me from home the same as he''s been stealing those poor girls from the packs he ughters every single day. The difference between me and those girls is that he actually told my dad that he''s taking me, not kidnap me like others."


    By now tears were streaming down her cheeks so fast, it looked like her eyes had turned into small waterfalls.


    "Milly, I-" I tried to speak, but she raised her hand and shook her head.


    "No, don''t tell me that you''re sorry just yet. I''m not done. After he stole me from home and forced me to move in with him, he let his peopleugh at me, call me names, p and kick me until day turned into night. By the time Bane took me to his home, he told me I had to learn my lesson, to learn how to listen, that he had control and my word meant shit. After he was done with all that, he didn''t even bother showing me the house. Instead, he took me to the guest bedroom and forced himself onto me there. Not only did I lose my virginity because of his violent acts, but also, after he was done, heughed in my face that it was good he didn''t ruin his bedding by taking me to his bedroom."


    Wow. How was I supposed to react? So, after all, it turned out that Bane was way worse than I ever thought.


    "There. Now you know a part of it. It''s only a part, keep in mind that there was more. But I won''t tell you everything today, I just can''t return back to that ce, I can''t rip open the wounds I have barely closed up. If not more, at least you know why Bane is the demon of my past. I was forced to fake my own death to get rid of him."

 157: Bloodlines curse.

    **Bane


    pov**


    Ever since the nurse left, which had to be at least three hours ago, her words still reyed in my mind, as if I couldn''t get rid of the powerful impact they left behind. No matter how hard I tried, they didn''t fade. If anything, her words rang louder in my mind, more powerful, more meaningful. She was a wise woman, that much was a fact.


    Maybe I really needed someone to hit me where it hurt. Perhaps without her telling me those things, I wouldn''t havee to that conclusion.


    Now, I know one thing. I had to fight it. I had to fight my curse if I wanted to be the man Aife deserved and wanted. And if I couldn''t, well, that would mean that I truly was unworthy of her to begin with.


    *"I would love to see you try, fool. You are too weak, too small to ever face me."* The voice rang out in my mind, silencing the raging thoughts.


    It was truly admirable how crazy my thoughts could go and as soon as he appeared again, it was like nothing could stand against him, not even my own mind.


    "Oh, but you will see me try. And when I fail, I will start the same shit all over again until I seed. First, I will find out why your sorry ass is rooted in my mind and then I will pluck you out like useless grass," Iughed at him.


    My words amused him because the asshole joined in withughter of his own, this much deeper and darker than mine. Sinister even. *"You will never seed. None of your ancestors has and neither will you. The entire bloodline is too weak, pathetic,ughable even."*


    "You''re the one to speak, right? Alone, trapped in a mind that isn''t your own, acting like a fucking leech. Sure, you''re so damn powerful. Dude, you don''t have hands, what are you going to do, choke me with your words?" I kept challenging him, eager to see if I could anger him enough to make him lose control. "Besides, if my bloodline is so damn weak and pathetic, I have all the rights to stop it, don''t I? A quick snip and no kids - done. You''d die with me. Exciting, isn''t it? No more poor souls totch on."


    I could feel his anger rising with every word I threw at him. And just as it almost erupted, just a second before he lost his cool, the door to the room flew open and the king stepped inside, grinning like some moron.


    Why now? Why did he decide toe here and ruin everything I was trying to do? Was it really too much to ask for to get a moment I could use to piss off the leech living inside my body?


    "You know, the other people in this pack might think you''re going mad, talking andughing alone in this room," he chuckled as he closed the door and approached me.


    While it was clear he was trying to appear amused, there was something off about him - his aura was wildly all over the ce.


    Raising an eyebrow at him, I sat up in the bed and waited for him to speak up, but he didn''t offer any words.


    Why would hee here if he didn''t intend to talk to me? Sometimes, I didn''t get him. This whole mysterious act was so old, I wished he could just drop it.


    "I''m okay with that," I stated just to get the conversation going. "I can''t im that their thoughts about me are high in any regard anyway. Since I''m already a lost cause in their eyes, I might as well y the madman. Anyway, why did youe here?"


    As he sat on the edge of the bed, he ced his hand over his chest and faked a surprised gasp. "Can''t a friend visit his friend when the friend is injured and in pain? What kind of friend would I be if I didn''t visit my friend? Don''t you see me as your friend? Is it that you don''t think I''m worthy of being a friend? Or are you tired of being my friend now?"


    Rolling my eyes, I groaned at him. "What is it? What happened?"


    His eyes focused on something in the distance the moment he realized he had been caught. "What makes you think something happened?"


    "I don''t know, maybe the fact that you just said the word friend like seven times?" I offered.


    Once he hissed a low ''shit'' under his breath, I couldn''t hold it in anymore and burst out inughter. This man was so smart, so powerful and knowledgeable, but sometimes, he did and said the stupidest things.


    "Well, sometimes even the brightest minds get a little messed up in their heads under immense amounts of stress. Let this slide, please. For the sake of our friendship, okay?" Heughed as he spoke. "Technically you just said friend again," I added just to annoy him a little.


    From there, both of us justughed at the situation. I had a feeling that he knew how much I didn''t want to hear what he had to say. While I was curious about whatever got him this stressed, I was also scared to know. I didn''t pay attention to how much time passed with usughing and when theughter died down. At one point, both of us became quiet, trapped in our own minds, settling down the storms raging within us. After a while, the silence around us became so deafening, I couldn''t take it anymore, so I cleared my throat to get his attention. "You can tell me. Whatever it is."


    When he averted his gaze, I knew this was serious. If anything, this man wasn''t someone who didn''t bother looking into the eyes of the person he spoke to. For as long as I had known him, he never averted his gaze. Until now.. The king sucked in a deep breath and shook his head. "I''m scared to tell you. I know I should as this is connected to you, but you''re already so broken, I''m scared to break you even more. You''re my friend, Bane. I care for you." Although the words he spoke weren''t any louder than a low whisper, I caught each one of them. Shivers instantly traveled down my spine, leaving a tingling, painful sensation behind.


    I could feel goosebumps raise on my arms and the rest of my body. It felt as if there wasn''t a bit of skin left uncovered.


    Reaching out, I ced my hand on his and squeezed it. "I know you care, that''s why you''re here. No matter how much it might hurt me, you''re here because you know I will always stand for the truth. I rather listen to bitter truth than sweet lies. No matter how bad it is, I hope you can tell me."


    He quickly nodded his head in agreement. "Of course, I can tell you the truth. Just give me a moment, okay? This isn''t an easy thing to say, definitely not the news you would like to break to your friend."


    "Whenever you''re ready, I am too. The sooner the better. I don''t care how painful or unpleasant it gets, I prefer to get over the ugly parts of life as fast as I can," I tried to encourage him.


    My words might have sounded like something a brave man was saying, but in reality, I was so scared, I couldn''t focus on anything. There was this heavy, odd feeling in the pit of my stomach and my heart was beating so fast, I feared it might break out of my ribcage.


    And judging by the look the king was giving me, it seemed like he could hear my heart as well. Shit.


    I shed him a stupid, shit-eating grin and nodded, giving him a silent encouragement to speak up.


    Once again, he looked away and sucked in a sharp breath. "Promise you won''t freak out."


    Now, he had me truly worried. Freak out about what? Honestly, I didn''t like to make promises that I didn''t know if I could keep, but this time, I gave in. If an empty promise was all he asked for, that much I could offer.


    "I won''t freak out. Or at least I''ll try," I muttered.


    "I read some books in the pce library a year or so ago. At first, I didn''t pay much attention to details but after we met and he got too aggressive, I remembered there was some mention of bloodlines curse. If yours is the same as that mentioned in the books, this will disappoint you. The only way to break it is if your mate gives birth to a daughter, breaking the list of male firstborns."


    Okay, this was a punch to the gut. How was I supposed to break the curse and rid myself of the leech if I couldn''t have a mate? The moon Goddess knew no mercy when it came to sinners and her curses.

 158: To leave or stay?

    **Aife pov**


    Shivers ran through my entire body. Looking at her, I could see nothing but pain in K''s expression.


    While I wasn''t sure what was the story about her father, I would dislike her mother too, so it was clear she held dislike for her parents, yet still had some love for them.


    That was the sad truth about families - no matter how bad they were, how much family members might have abused one, the person always had some sort of love for them because of the family bond they shared.


    After all, there were good times before the abuse happened too. All of these thoughts made me think about her journey more. K wasn''t too generous with the details, but I learned enough so far.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I admitted the very fact I would rather have held a secret, "honestly, I don''t know. Whatever happens, it''s all up to you. I know Zion, he''s already crazy about you, but if you were to leave, he wouldn''t keep you here against your will. It''s not his nature. He''s too good to do that."


    K nodded and focused her gaze in the distance, "that''s the issue. If I were to choose to leave, if I were to do something, it''s all about me and nothing about him. How is that fair? It''s not." She whispered.


    "Yeah," I agreed. "It''s not fair to him, but keep in mind we''re talking about Zion. While you don''t know him, hell, even I don''t know him for long, we both still know he will forget his needs and wants when ites to you. Sounds crazy, but that''s how it is."


    K pondered my words for a little and didn''t offer any opinion. Instead, she turned the whole conversation into questioning. "What do you think.. What should I do now? What would be the best choice in this situation? To leave or stay?"


    I had to bite my lip to stay silent and actually think about her question. I wasn''t the one who had to make this decision, so it felt a little unfair that she was forcing this onto me, but at the same time, I understood why she did it. Maybe it was more of a gender thing, but she sure did seem to trust me more than any men around us. I honestly believed that she wanted my opinion because I didn''t let men walk all over me.


    Ha, if only she had seen me when I was first brought here, she would see the true definition of pathetic and sad. Then, K would have the chance to watch how people changed with time passing and how some of us could grow.


    For me, the growth happened unexpectedly. It was mainly brought to me by Bane, the very man who made my life a living hell. In my situation, he broke me first and then put me back together, piece by piece. "You''re sure taking your time thinking about this," K muttered, pulling me back to reality.


    Chuckling, I agreed with her. "Yeah, I was thinking about something. A sudden assault of memories, let''s call it that.¡±


    "I have those. Pretty often. But mine happen when I sleep, theye in the form of nightmares and for the most part, I don''t realize just how bone chilling they are until I wake up, drenched in sweat and my heart is trying to escape my body." She whispered.


    Listening to her, suddenly, I had an idea. What if I asked her if.. "Did you have those nightmares recently? Oh, to hell, I can''t put this in as I want to unless I add the facts. Pardon my bluntness, but I want to know if you had them while Zion was sleeping next to you?"


    K''s head snapped in my direction and her eyes grew wide as if only now, she was hit with the weight of the realization. "No," she muttered. "Now that I think of it, no, I didn''t have any nightmares. That was the best rest I''ve experienced in my entire life. I had never slept so peacefully as I slept in his arms."


    As the tears started filling her eyes, I was pretty sure she had made her decision without overthinking it.


    Just to ensure she knew that too, I moved a little closer and whispered, "the Goddess has her ways with us. She knows what she is doping and there has to be a reason why she chose Zion for you. Don''t try to turn this around, it was you who needed him and she gave you the very person you needed the most. Don''t fight it."


    "But how? Tell me how. How could you forgive your man for what he did to you? How did you let that go and manage to forget?" K sobbed, wiping the tears off her cheeks.


    Shaking my head, I raised my hands. "I never said I forgot. That''s something no one could forget. Ever. But I did forgive because everyone makes mistakes. With Bane, it''s different. He''s aplicated case, moreplex and messed up than any man I have met in my entire lifetime. Ever since we started this thing between us, I knew it would be hard. I knew we would face challenges and he could lose his cool any moment, but I still went for it. Feelings, love and emotions make us do the stupidest things."


    She didn''t stop crying. Even when a smile spread across her lips, K still cried. I had a feeling these tears weren''t caused by this conversation - this was the pain and suffering she had been trying to hide from others, finally spilling over her imaginary cup.


    Just as I opened my mouth, set on calming her down, we were startled by a loud, threatening growling from the main building.


    I spun on my heel to see Zion, red in the face, seething in anger, walking towards us like a man on a mission. "Aife, I swear, I love you like a sister and adore you as the pack''s Luna, but if you hurt my K, there will be consequences. Bane can kill me for all I care, no one is allowed to make my mate cry!" He growled.


    As threatening as he looked, I wasn''t sure if I was supposed tough at his reaction or take it seriously. Before I could react, K jumped in front of me and hissed at Zion, stopping him in his tracks.


    "She did nothing wrong!" K snarled. She was full of surprises, but what she did next truly left me speechless. K raised her hand and pointed a finger at Zion, and then, at the ground, "down, mate!" She ordered. I watched both amused and terrified. Did this woman just order a Beta wolf to sit down like some trained dog?


    "Babe, why?" Zion whined like a kid, his eyes darting to me, seeking help.


    Now, this was something I was willing to watch and enjoy. First, he threatened me and now he needs my help? Ha, good luck dealing with the spicy kitty.


    With a wide grin across my lips, I shook my head, letting him know there would be no help from me. Zion faked being shocked, but the next time K hissed, he did as she told him. He plopped down on the ground. "There, happy?" Zion hissed, looking away from us.


    Truth to be told, I waspletely speechless. I didn''t expect he would actually sit down like that, without any arguments.


    "Yes, I am," K announced.


    As soon as he realized that he had made his mate happy, Zion''s face almost split in half with the smile that spread across his lips. Just to make the moment more meaningful, instead of focusing on the negatives of this situation, Zion found his ray of sunshine and beamed as he spoke, "you called me mate."

 159: Mate.

    **Zion


    pov**


    "You called me mate," I beamed, unable to contain the emotions I felt. "You seriously just called me your mate. Holy shit, I''ve never felt this alive. I am your mate. Yours."


    This was a plot twist I never expected. In all honesty, I was almostpletely sure that K would reject me any moment she would feel good enough to leave, but this.. This changed everything.


    The only issue was that as soon as those words escaped my lips, her eyes widened and jaw dropped nearly to the ground as the realization sunk in.


    It was so quiet around us that even outside, anyone could hear a pin drop. But even with how gloomy this situation turned, I still remained hopeful. She called me her mate, it had to mean something.


    Deep down, I still feared the day she would tell me to fuck off, but if the day truly came, at least I got to experience this moment, which felt like heaven. Now, I loved her even more than I loved her yesterday and probably just as much as I would tomorrow.


    K cleared her throat and looked away, "I needed to stop you somehow, you were about to hurt Aife and she has done nothing wrong. I needed to protect her."


    Her words hit me.. Hard. Like an arrow, aimed straight at my heart. Yet, even that didn''t deter me from enjoying the little happiness that still surged through me. Letting the high go was hard. She created it so suddenly, yet so strongly, I didn''t want to believe that she would back out of this so easily.


    Sure, there was a risk that she just tried to appear uninterested to save her own image, but if that was the case, I would figure out a way how to deal with it.


    Just as I parted my lips to speak up, I was stopped by Aife''s action. She ced her hand on K''s shoulder and squeezed it a little. "I think it''s better if you two have a conversation now. Make sure every second counts, heart to heart, no secrets. Only after you find your answer can you make the decision."


    With that being said, Aife shed me a warm smile and slowly walked away from us. Bane truly chose the best out of best, Aife was a true Luna material, someone who cared so much about others, she didn''t care if she could be hurt in the process.


    "Please," K hissed. "For the love of the Goddess you worship, remain seated and don''t move a muscle. I won''t be able to focus if you get in my personal space," she whispered.


    Would it be aplete dick move if I kept grinning like a mad man now that she admitted that my presence made things hard for her? Maybe it would and maybe that was why I did just that - grinned.


    The butterflies in my stomach couldn''t be tamed at this point. K had no idea what she was doing to me, how crazy she made me and how badly I was losing my mind over the fact that she didn''t want to be touched by me now. "Okay, I get it. I promise to remain seated right here like the good dog I am," I wiggled my eyebrows andughed at the stupid joke, even more when K decided that she needed to pin me with her gaze.


    "Can''t you be serious for one second? You''re a grown man, Zion, please act like one," she groaned, rolling her eyes at me.


    There it was, another opening for me to say something and you can bet your ass I took the chance as soon as I saw one. "I like the way my name sounds when you say it, so hot."


    "If you don''t want to talk about us, just say it. There''s no need to y around with me while I''m trying to be serious. Just.. Don''t."


    My poor mate sounded like she was at the end of her rope. As much as I wanted to focus on that, I couldn''t. The only thing that rang in my head was that one word she just said - us. Did that mean there was a chance for us? Or was this nothing but her attempt to discuss the logistics of the possible rejection? I hoped, I fucking prayed it wouldn''t be thetter one.


    However, as much as I didn''t want the worst to happen, I could admit one thing - I couldn''t force K to love me, no matter how much I wanted it. If she wanted to leave, I had no right to stand in her way and prevent her from regaining her freedom.


    At the end of the day, everything was in her hands, even the possible future of us.


    "I do!" I shouted so loud, I startled myself. But I had a reason to scream. K was starting to back away as if she took my silence for an answer. Quickly, I cleared my throat and tried to appear calmer as I spoke. "What I mean is that I really do want to talk to you, especially about everything youbel as us."


    And again, she rolled her eyes at me, but this time, K wasn''t annoyed. In fact, she appeared amused and more at ease. That was a good sign, wasn''t it? It had to be a good sign.


    Fuck yes! We were getting somewhere and we were really doing this together. I couldn''t wait for Bane to return so I could tell him everything about how cool and sweet and overall amazing my mate was.


    On a side note, I would have toe up with a way for him not to look at K because she was mine. No, scratch that, I was getting too paranoid. Bane was so obsessed with Aife, the dude didn''t know other women exist too at this point. She was the only woman he could see, so I didn''t have to worry about my mate.


    My eyes followed K as she sat on the nearby bench and exhaled. She didn''t look at me, but that was fine, I could live with that. For as long as she was close by, I could live with anything.


    "I cried earlier because I told her some things I haven''t told to anyone and for now, I would like to keep those details secret from you. Please, don''t ask, okay?"


    As she spoke, her eyes never met mine. In a way, it hurt me to know that she trusted Aife more than me, but I could also understand why.


    I was her mate, a man she didn''t know at all and she kind of wanted to reject me while Aife, she was another woman and extremely kind to K so it was easy to trust her. Aife went down to the cells to support K and I, well, I didn''t do much besides cry because my mate didn''t want me.


    Honestly, I was surprised she agreed to talk to me now. After the stuff that went off, I didn''t think she would allow me anywhere near her, but here we were, so close I could reach out and grab her. Not that I would. No matter how much my hands were itching to do that, I was dead set on respecting her boundaries.


    Besides, there still was a chance that I came onto her too strongly with the excitement and puppy dog love blinding my ability to act like a decent person.


    "But," she started again, this time, freaking finally, looking at me. "I think," she dragged and shed me a quick, shy smile. "I think we could try to get to know each other. Baby steps, slow and steady, nothing over the top, you know."

 160: Witch in the cells.

    **Aife pov**


    Leaving them both behind, I felt at ease. No matter how their conversation ended, at least they would talk.


    Zion and K had some insane chemistry, as if they both were surrounded by maic fields that pulled them to each other.


    I had never really witnessed a true mate bond and if it was anything closely to theirs, I wanted that too. Not to be taken as someone salty or bitter, because I was truly happy for them, but I too wanted the same thing. Maybe one day.


    Sadly, I had to live with the fact that Bane couldn''t be it. I had fallen for him, hard, but he wasn''t blessed even with the idea of ever meeting his mate, so I had to get down from the cloud of dreams and face reality. But honestly, even if we weren''t meant to be in the Goddess''s ns, I believed that we were meant to be with each other anyway. If not her, it was the fate that brought us together.


    "Luna Aife!" Someone shouted, catching me off guard.


    I looked in the direction of the voice and smiled at the guard who was already approaching me. "Good day to you too, Mike. How are you doing?"


    For some reason, I managed to memorize the names of most guards and I was so happy that I did.. Whenever I addressed those men by their names, their faces broke out in bright smiles and a twinkle appeared in their eyes.


    I wasn''t sure why it meant so much to them that I knew the names, but I assumed it had to be connected to something that had happened in the pack long before my arrival.


    Anyway, I was d my attitude could brighten their day.


    "I''m good, thank you for asking, my Luna." He spoke once he stopped right in front of me.


    One thing I learned about these guards was that they didn''t approach anyone for no reason or to simply have a chat. They were busy men with a lot of responsibilities so they valued every minute of the day they had.


    So, Mike didn''t have to tell me anything for me to know that something was off.


    I raised my eyebrow and waited until he would get to the point. Since he still attempted to create some small talk, I instantly realized that something was terribly wrong.


    "When we had that football match, you won''t believe it, the whole thing was so wild, we couldn''t stopughing and then-¡± I raised my hand to stop him from rambling even more.


    "Mike, as much as I appreciate your funny stories about some random asions, I would prefer it if you got straight to the point. What happened? And don''t lie. Oh, and for the love of the moon Goddess, don''t try to sugar coat your words again. Give me information as it is, I promise I can handle it."


    His eyes darted everywhere but at me when he muttered something under his breath, clearly not too keen toe clean.


    Why he approached me if he wasn''t ready to share the information was beyond me. However, since we had gotten this far and I knew something was off, I didn''t want to back off until I learned the truth he was trying to hide. "Mike, please. I can''t hear you when you mumble like that. You came here to find me for a reason, am I correct?"


    He shifted his weight from one leg to another in a nervous manner and whispered a weak, barely audible, "yes, you are my Luna."


    Since when was it fair that highly trained men, well-known warriors and guards, acted like this? Wasn''t it easier to just spit it all out and be done with it?


    "Okay, now that we established it, I think you are ready to tell me everything. We are alone, nobody''s close enough to hear our conversation so just spit it out."


    Mike stole a quick nce at me and instantly looked away. "I know I need to tell you, but I also don''t want to. Honestly, I have no idea why I came to find you in the first ce. I should have tried to reach the Alpha first and discuss this with him before I tell you anything. Damn it, I screwed up again!"


    I took a step closer and ced my hand on his shoulder to calm Mike a little. "I appreciate the worry you clearly have for me, but Mike, there''s no need to try to reach Bane right now. He is busy with whatever he has to do and while he''s gone, I''m the one who''s in charge. And Zion, of course. However, whatever can be said to Zion should be told to me too. Let''s stop wasting time, okay?"


    Still avoiding eye contact, Mike sucked in a sharp breath and slowly exhaled before he spoke up. "The witch in the cells, she requested to speak to you. She wants her arms back, but we, ehem, have an issue with that part."


    I couldn''t believe what I was hearing. "What do you mean when you say she wants her arms back? Are you implying we have a witch in the cells and she doesn''t have her actual arms or is this a bad joke?"


    "Oooh," Mike dragged, finally looking at me. "Beta Zion didn''t tell you anything about that detail?"


    I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms in front of my chest, "not that I can recall anything about missing limbs, honestly."


    Mike''s eyes widened a fraction and he quickly cleared his throat, hiding his initial surprise. "She attacked Beta Zion, but his mate took the blow. After she did, Beta thought she died, so as a punishment, Beta took that woman''s arms. We can''t give them back because Beta Zion might have ordered us to burn them."


    Poor Mike''s cheeks burned bright red as he looked all sorts out of ce. Zion could have told me, so at least I wouldn''t look so stupid hearing everything from a guard''s mouth.


    "Okay," I blew out a breath. "What''s done, it''s done. Not that we can build new arms from ashes, right." I brought my hand to my face and quickly pinched the bridge of my nose. "I guess I need to head to the cells and talk to the star of the show in person, since she so formally requested to see me."


    "Well, that''s exactly why I came here to look for you, Luna. You see, I did bring the information, doing what I promised her, but I also told the witch that it''s not likely she would meet you after everything she has done."


    Mike had a point, but no matter how smart he sounded, I still wanted to go. That woman could tell me why she and her darn Coven targeted me, as well as maybe share some information about K.


    Now that K was a part of our pack, regardless of her future decisions, I truly cared for her and wanted to get to know her better too.


    "I''ll go,¡± I announced, leaving no room for unnecessary discussions.


    Mike didn''t have a chance to protest as I headed towards the main building and quickly slid inside.


    Then, I headed straight to the cells and made my way down, greeting every man I met in my way.


    Once I reached the bottom step, the guards in the cells greeted me and asked why I arrived, ying dumb.


    They were awful liars and even worse actors. The surprised looks on their faces when I mentioned the witch wanting to see me were worse than facial expressions in badedies from twenty years ago.


    But s, while they didn''t want to see me anywhere near that woman, I didn''t give them the power to decide for me and asked the guards to show me where she was being held.


    It felt like the men were dragging time on purpose, but eventually, I stood in front of a cell and the guards backed away to give us some privacy.


    I tried to notice the witch inside the cell, but she had hidden herself from curious gazes, so I waited for her to acknowledge my presence. And when she did, a few words were enough to leave me speechless, "well, well, well, isn''t that the lost child herself? How does it feel to live a lie?"

 161: Lost child?

    **Aife


    pov**


    I blinked. And then I did it again. And again. Probably until I looked like I was trying to lift my entire body weight with myshes.


    However, the thought of looking ridiculous in everyone''s else''s eyes didn''t even strike me. What did was her words that kept echoing in my mind. Lost child? To live a lie?


    What were her questions supposed to mean? Was it that thisplete stranger knew more about me than I did myself and she was trying to imply that there was information she could hold over my head?


    If so, she had no chance at fulfilling her sick ns. I have met so many people who had tried to ruin my life, who tried to control and manipte me, but I finally had had enough. No more.


    "What do you mean?" I asked, taking a step closer to her cell.


    "You''ll see, fake Luna. Soon enough, you will see and once the dayes all of you will have to admit that you''re not half as saint as you im to be," she spat and startedughing as if she just told me the funniest joke. I didn''t find her words funny.


    "Why would I trust whatever words thate out of your mouth? You''re just someone who sent a woman here to see if I''m really here and then tried to attack the pack." I scoffed.


    "Oh," she dragged the word, voice still full of nothing but amusement. "If I were you, I would listen. Ignoring the words of a witch, especially one as old as me, isn''t the wisest decision to make."


    I didn''t know if listening would be wise, so I had no idea about the consequences that mighte if I didn''t listen.


    She was too off-putting and didn''t bother to exin herself, so standing here, I probably looked like the biggest fool on this.


    And besides, her story wasn''t adding up, mainly because of theck of details, but I had a feeling she would pretend to be mysterious rather than admit she had lied. I could stand here for hours and she still wouldn''t exin anything. "Why did you request to see me?" I decided to focus on her request rather than a story she could spin for me.


    "Oh, nothing big, really," she grinned. "I was wondering if you are brave enough toe here and face me. After all, you probably know I can hurt you."


    Giving her a quick once-over, I decided to be as bold as I could andughed at her words. Then, I took another step closer and pointed my finger at her as if she were lesser than me and snarled, "yeah, and with what arms are you going to hurt me?"


    That did it. The witch started thrashing and raging while screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs.


    "Be careful, if you carry on like this, you might lose your legs too." I added, just to hit her where it hurt the most.


    Usually, I wasn''t this spiteful and mean, but this woman deserved every word and more. Not only did shee across as an awful person in general, but she had also hurt and abused K.


    Maybe K didn''t realize this just yet, but she was a part of a family now and I wanted everyone to know that I was on their side, no matter what. The same way, I would remain on K''s side and do my best to stand up for her if she couldn''t do that herself.


    While the witch was right with one statement - I wasn''t a real Luna because I wasn''t Bane''s mate, I still wanted to act like a proper Luna. I wanted to be the voice of those who couldn''t speak, the strength of those who were too tired and fighting spirit for those who couldn''t fight anymore.


    A witch couldn''t take it away from me, she couldn''t take it away from the pack. Also, if she thought she could bring me down with some words alone, she had a thing or twoing for her.


    The very man I had fallen in love with was the man who had broken me beyond repair and then, slowly glued me back together, piece by piece, so a woman, screaming at me, couldn''t hurt me even close as much as he did. I survived Bane, I would survive anyone that decided to stand in my way the same.


    "Oh, enjoy your victory, fake Luna, enjoy it while itsts. Once the North rises andes, you will see everything, you will learn the truth and I shall relish in the misery you will spend the rest of your life trapped in. Enjoy drowning in the shallow waters of tears."


    Raising an eyebrow at her, I kept staring at her. What did she mean now?


    Were her words some hidden curses, promises or just sick, twisted threats with no truth in them? I wasn''t as sure anymore.


    "Look at you, questioning your own reality. Isn''t this a beautiful sight?" Sheughed like a banshee.


    Cold shivers ran down my spine as I took one step back, just in case to increase the distance between us. Maybe she liked the closeness, but I suddenly felt so uneasy, I couldn''t take it anymore.


    To make matters worse, her shoulders started glowing, right where her arms used to be. It wasn''t intensive or bright light, just a little sparkle, and a momentter, it disappeared.


    The blood-curdling scream that left her lips made me jump and I had to p my hands over my ears from how loud it was. When she stopped streaming, I pulled my hands away and noticed that they were covered in specks of blood. The witch screamed so loud, my ears actually bleed. "What the fuck?" I muttered under my breath, stuck in a state ofplete disbelief.


    "You monsters! You burned my arms! How could you? How dare you fucking burn the arms of the witch!? How fucking dare you?" She started screaming again, but since her voice didn''t sound as loud anymore, I didn''t cover my ears. When she started gasping for breath, I spoke up. "Yes, your arms were burned, which is an appropriate punishment for someone, who had tried to use their magic to attack a Beta wolf. This isn''t your Coven, witch, you are in our territory and therefore, you are living under thew of the pack - as a prisoner or a part of it, it doesn''t matter, thew still stands."


    Her head snapped in my direction and eyes bore into mine. Even from afar, I could see the hatred burning in them as she stood right in front of the cell bars and actually growled at me.


    "You," she hissed. "Your downfall is the one I will enjoy the most. It''sing, sooner than you can imagine or predict, I feel it''sing. And once you fall from the throne you''ve built for yourself, I will be there, standing close enough to watch you suffer. The clock''s ticking, my dear fake Luna. Let''s see who suffers more - me, after losing my arms, or you, once you finally meet the fate written in stars."

 162: Lonely.

    **Bane


    pov**


    "My dear friend," I started and instantly stopped, taking a moment to breathe out the frustration that was coursing through my veins. "Don''t get me wrong, please, you know that I do appreciate your help.. However, while you believe this information might be of use for me, please, tell me how. Just how.. You know the Goddess hasn''t blessed the men in my bloodline for generations. Ever since he.."


    I couldn''t finish the sentence. I was too much of a coward to actually speak those words out loud. If I did, all of them would be reality and that was thest thing I wanted.


    The king ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He appeared to be deep in thought, so I took a moment to watch him.


    It seemed that everyone aged as the years passed.. Everyone but him. I had known him for years, but I hadn''t seen even one line appear on his face or a gray hair, which in itself was admirable. Someone who lived under as much stress as he did was bound to age early, but the fucker still was as handsome as ever.


    Before I could stop myself, I spat out the stupid question, "do you even age? Will I see the day when you don''t look like a goddamn sex symbol?"


    My words made himugh so loud, the sound echoed against the walls. "I don''t age as everyone else does, stop acting like you forgot. I am bound to outlive my people, as unfair as it sounds to you, I will outlive you too, my friend." My heart dropped. "Sounds lonely," I muttered under my breath.


    "It truly is, but it''s not like I can change anything," he agreed, looking into the distance as if nothingness was more interesting than anything I could say.


    "How about you find someone to make your days less lonely? I don''t think it''s healthy that you refuse to be with anyone. Company changes people, just look at me, crazy about my woman, a changed man. You can''t spend the rest of your days alone. And besides, the Goddess doesn''t have a grudge with you, I''m sure she has blessed you with someone special." I tried to uplift his mood.


    Unfortunately, my attempts brought the opposite effect. His shoulders slumped and his eyes focused on the floor. The king''s entire body became so tense, it looked like every piece of clothing covering his body would burst in seams any moment now.


    "Ever since Magda, I can''t," he muttered, voice barely a whisper.


    "What do you mean? I don''t want to bring up anything painful, but.. What happened? Who is or was Magda? If the memories are too bad, just tell me and I''ll back off. Promise." As I spoke, I threw off the nket and tossed my legs over the edge of the bed to sit closer to him.


    I had never been someone who liked to discuss private matters with others, but once I started to talk to Zion about my struggles, after those conversations, I felt a little better.


    Carrying a burden on your own was the worst thing, especially with no support system at all. Just letting it all out helped.


    "She was my queen," he suddenly whispered and reached his hand out to grab mine.


    I didn''t pull my hand away, instead, I held his and listened. I could hear him out, no matter how much he wanted to tell me.


    "She was perfect. Magda wasn''t a woman from the upper ss and while the Council encouraged me to look for someone who had the status, once Iid my eyes on Magda, I couldn''t look away. I couldn''t stop thinking about her, even after she spat in my face and called me a wannabe king. She hated me so much," he chuckled and tensed up again.


    I squeezed his hand. "If it''s too much, you don''t have to tell me more. It''spletely fine. I can listen, but only if you want to speak. I don''t want to hurt you even more by opening the wounds of the past."


    "No, I should get this out. I haven''t spoken about this with anyone, so maybeing clean with you will help me deal with the loss," he muttered and let go of my hand to stand up.


    My eyes followed him as the king started pacing the length of the room, seemingly deep in thought.


    As much as I wanted him to sit down before I would get dizzy just looking at him, I figured this was the easiest way for him to gather his thoughts, so I remained silent and waited.


    It took about five minutes for him to finally stop, but much to my displeasure, he just shook his head and started pacing the room all over again.


    After another five minutes, he groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Fuck, I never thought talking about this would be so damn hard," he hissed.


    A bitter chuckle left me as I shook my head, "but it is. I had to learn the hard way too."


    My words caught his attention. He dropped his hands and pinned me with his gaze. "What do you mean?"


    "I had to learn how to talk to others about private matters. I kept hiding my feelings, emotions, pain and everything until I snapped. With time, I started snapping more often, so my Beta sat me down and forced me to talk. It''s hard at first, but once you get over the initial struggle, you learn how to open up andter, these types of conversations happen naturally. It''s easier to spill your heart out to someone you trust than hold the pain until you explode," I exined and shrugged. The king nodded. "Okay. Makes sense. I''ll start from the beginning if that''s okay?"


    I just nodded, fearing that any of my words could distract him from finally talking about whatever he was hiding.


    "Obviously, this happened many years ago. I opened the pce door for people toe and speak to me in person. It was the first year I decided to do that, against every advice of the Council. Not many came and she was at the end of the line. When Magda finally reached me, I was taken by her beauty and boldness. She didn''t kiss my hand or bow. She stood before me, head held high, full of pride. Then, instead of voicing any issue, she did the unthinkable - that woman called me the king of fleas and spat in my face. When she turned to leave, I had to call the guards back so they wouldn''t hurt her."


    I listened and couldn''t hold back the chuckle of amusement. So, after all, there has been someone who could put him in his ce, huh?


    In the meantime, the king started pacing the room again. "After she left, I nearly turned the entire territory upside down until I found her. I went to her home and offered her marriage. I had no idea what her name was, but Goddess, I wanted that woman to be mine so bad, just the thought of not having her killed me."


    After another brief pause, he stopped. "Obviously, she didn''t want to marry me. Back then, Magda hated me and I was a stranger to her. Why would she?"


    "But you did marry?" I raised an eyebrow.


    "Yes, eventually we did. At first, her parents wanted to sell Magda to me as they had hit a pretty bad ce financially. She was appalled, and so was I. Instead of doing that, I offered help or loan, whichever they preferred, but I refused to buy a woman. Let''s say it wasn''t pretty, I literally tore into her father."


    A slight smile appeared on his lips as he recalled the memories, "then, Magda offered to work as a maid to earn the money her parents needed. Despite the hatred she felt, she would still work for me. Of course, everyone advised me against it because for all I knew, she could be plotting to kill me. But as always, I didn''t listen and agreed, for as long as she would be under the same roof as me."


    I couldn''t take the suspense he was building, so I had to speak up, "what happened next?"


    "She tried to kill me," heughed.


    "Wait, seriously?" I gasped.


    The king nodded. "Yes, a couple of times, actually. She never seeded as you see, but I must admit, I enjoyed the game we were ying. I think itsted for six months and after that, she gave up. After another six months, I managed to win her heart and married the woman of my dreams. After the wedding, everything went to shit. Like a rollercoaster - one moment I was happy, then she made me the happiest man alive and then, it all burned to ashes."


    "I''m scared to ask what happened," I whispered.


    He looked at me and shed a sad smile. "When we married, I was happy. When Magda told me she was pregnant, I was the happiest man alive. And when my pregnant queen disappeared, it all burned to ashes. Her body was found three yearster, the only way thet knew the body was my Magda were the fucking dental records. I lost it all the love of my life, my queen and my baby."

 163: I didn’t know.

    **Bane pov**


    "Goddess, I''m so sorry to hear that. I didn''t know," I spoke, fighting each word that was getting stuck in my throat.


    Of all the things I could have imagined, traumatic events like that were thest things on my mind.


    Honestly, I really wished the woman would have just left him, not died. And, judging by the way he told the story, I had a feeling that she never left. She was taken away and killed.


    "Nobody really knows, I keep her memory a secret. It happened a long time ago, thest thing I want and need is to ruin her image by speaking of everything that happened to every person I meet. You, however, I trust. I trust you will keep my secret, Bane." He shed me a sad smile.


    Like aplete fool, I nodded my head, a little too eagerly. "Of course, I will keep your secret. Nobody will hear about this from me. It''s your story to tell."


    "Thank you."


    A silence took over. It felt like a thick nket that was pulled over us both, suffocating us and weighing us down. There couldn''t be anything I wanted more than to get rid of the sensation.


    "When can I leave?" I suddenly asked, intent to change the topic and break the silence.


    He raised an eyebrow at me and gave me the ''really?'' look.


    "What?" I yed dumb.


    "What part of your brain makes you think it would be smart for you to leave this ce in the state you are in right now? Especially with that beast raging inside you. Bane, please, don''t be a fool," he groaned.


    I really didn''t appreciate his tone. While he spoke, I felt like a child who was being scolded by a parent. Even worse - someone, who did something that shouldn''t be done, despite knowing it was bad their entire life. So, since I was being treated like a child, I dly acted as one and crossed my arms in front of my chest before I made a face at him.


    "Well, okay, Mister toddler. Are you mad that I didn''t allow you to have snacks before dinner or do you want to throw a tantrum about not getting the toy from the store?" Heughed, fully enjoying the chance to mock me. I had a great chance to answer his mockery, but instead, I decided to keep acting like a child and pouted.


    Sometimes, words didn''t do the work actions could. And other times, acting like a brat brought more benefit than begging and pleading would.


    "Alright," he groaned and ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "How about we discuss this and at leaste up with a n or something? Just leaving this territory without any idea in mind would be stupid, even for a hotheaded guy like you. You definitely need a n how to tame that fucker."


    Yeah, he had a point. Thest thing I wanted to happen was to fall asleep and let the evil motherfucker to take over and hurt Aife. I wanted to hold her in my arms while we slept, but I had to drop the idea for now, if I wanted to keep her safe. "That''s a valid point, but I''m not sure how to do that yet. Also, I really should return home. After the call I had with Zion, I''m growing increasingly worried about the pack and my Luna. Attack already happened once and I''m sure many more will beunched if I don''t return. Without me around, my enemies think that the pack is left unable to defend themselves, which in turn, puts my Luna in even more danger again," I exined.


    I hated the thought of anyone harming her. Including myself. I fucked up so many times in the past, there was no way I would allow myself and others to harm Aife ever again.


    If it really came to it, I would rather kill myself than touch a hair on her head.


    "How about I send some of my warriors there? It would be the best option, if my opinion matters to you. My men can surround your pack and ensure no intruder gets past and in the meantime, we can get you back to your feet and try to figure out a n of action," he offered.


    Damn it, the offer really was tempting. So tempting, I almost didn''t hesitate to take it. What he didn''t really take into consideration was the fact that I was missing Aife like crazy.


    The main reason why I wanted to go back home was to get to her faster. I missed holding her in my arms, missed kissing her, missed her scent and the warmth of her presence. I missed her voice andugh. Fuck it, I missed it all.


    "I see you''re hesitating. What''s wrong?" His voice brought me back to reality.


    As I looked up, I realized the king was standing right in front of me, looking down at me with a worried expression on his face. The corner of his mouth suddenly twitched, but never turned into a smile. "Ah, I see, the lover boy is missing hisdy."


    As much as I hated the wording he used, I could admit as much, so I nodded and shrugged like this was no big deal. It was a big deal, a massive one. "Understandable," he muttered and sat down next to me again. "And while your hesitance is understandable, it''s also damaging." He added.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see him watching me, but I didn''t look his way, just kept staring into the distance and muttered, "why damaging?" "Well, since you''re thinking if it''s a good idea to stay here, your heart is calling you to leave and go to her, while your brain probably knows that I offered the best possible solution. The longer you think, the harder your heart fights and eventually, it will win. That is, unless you''ll make a decision before that momentes. The damaging part is that you''re hurting yourself by hesitating. You''re building up hope for something that you know damn well won''t happen." How was this possible? Every word that left him felt like a blow, aimed straight to my heart simply because I knew he was right. No matter how much I tried to convince myself that he didn''t know what he was thinking about, he still was right. "I think it''s best if you get some more rest and then we can talk again. Take this as a chance to process the information you got and make a decision if you don''t feel sleepy, but keep in mind that I think my advice would be the best solution for this." The king announced, pped my thigh twice and stood up.


    I watched him approach the door and stop in front of it. He grabbed the handle and gripped it before ncing over his shoulder and sharing a bit more of his thoughts. "Whatever you decide to do, I have no right to hold you back. Keep in mind that I''m trying to help as a friend, not control you or be another enemy. I want what is best for you. And right now, best would be keeping your woman alive, which in turn means keeping you away from her."

 164: Big birthday plans.

    **Zion


    pov**


    A little birdy decided to whisper a secret to me. What secret, you might ask? Only the best kept secret about the one and only Luna Aife.


    The sneaky little thing was about to reach her grand age and meet her wolf for the first time in a week.


    Only seven days to get ready and that little, sneaky brat didn''t even think about bringing it up.


    I wished I could give her some shit about it, but sadly, I couldn''t.


    The fact about the birthday came up in a weird way, I would say. Aife was in the kitchen with the staff when one of the cooks mentioned a food delivery and Aife asked about when it would arrive. Long story short, the cook told her and Aife just casually input that three days after the delivery would be her twenty-first birthday.


    "Fuck!" I hissed under my breath as I focused on browsing the website, frantically looking for the decorations we could get over here before her big day.


    It was an important birthday, there was no way I would allow her to act as if it meant nothing. If only I had a little more time, I would make it into the party of the century!


    The knock on the office door startled me so much, I jumped to my feet and screamed like a girl. Yeah, not the most Beta thing to do, but I wasn''t expecting a visitor at this time of the day either.


    As the door opened, slowly as hell, my heart kept hammering in my chest and I quickly shut off every device that could give out my ns in case the unexpected guest was Aife.


    However, when K''s beautiful, yet worried face came into view, I fell back on the chair and breathed out a sigh of relief. "Damn it, babe, you scared the soul out of me just now," I muttered and ced a hand over my mouth.


    Slowly, she closed the door behind her and stepped closer to the desk, tilting her head and watching me as if she could read me without asking questions.


    "You are hiding something there," she muttered and pointed a finger at the closedptop.


    My eyes instantly widened. How??


    Against every survival instinct within me, I shook my head and lied to my mate''s face, "no, I''m not. You''re imagining things. I have no secrets, especially from my mate. Why are you thinking so low of me? You don''t trust me? Even a little bit?" At one point, I realized I was digging my own grave so I shut up and pretended to be oblivious. The more I spoke, the clearer the imaginary picture was painted - K knew I was hiding something and I was too shit of a liar to hide my ns for any longer.


    And while I fought my inner turmoil, all she did was stare at me, making it so much more harder for me to remain silent.


    Not for long, though, because apparently I was incapable of dealing with this amount of stress and just broke, spilling every detail about my secret.


    After I was done admitting what I was hiding and even told her more, K just smiled and sat down. "I didn''t even have to poke you and ask questions, you told everything on your own. Good mate, I''m proud of you." Okay, why did my heart just start beating a little bit faster and where did the pleasant, warm feeling in my cheste from? Was I losing it? I had to be.


    The smile that spread across my lips had to be wide enough to split my entire face in half. I couldn''t believe that a little remark could ever make me this happy, but it was possible, only if the words came from her mouth.


    "So what is our n?" K asked, looking at me with that twinkle in her eyes that had to mean she was excited.


    Leaning back in the chair, I grinned at her. No matter how high my expectations of a mate were in the past, I believed I had hit the jackpot.


    "I was thinking that maybe we could order some decorations, you could act as my spy and find out what her favorite foods are, and then, we could involve the entire pack to bring her some gifts and think of games we could y. I''m a little worried that Bane won''t be back by next week, so I don''t know if making him a part of our n would be a good idea." I exined, secretly wishing K would be on the same page as me.


    She shed me a gentle smile and nodded her head. "Yes, I think that''s an amazing idea. Aife is a wonderful woman and she deserves the best. I heard how she was talking to the kitchen staff about her birthday, and to me, it sounded like she really didn''t care about it. As if it''s another regr day."


    My eyes widened in shock, my jaw fell nearly to my feet. "Any other regr day? Are you serious?"


    K nodded again, "Yes, I''m dead serious. Honestly, this worries me a little because from what I have heard about wolves, twenty-first is a big deal for everyone. She gets to meet her wolf and possibly find her mate, right? How is that not a big deal?"


    "That''s the same thing I was thinking. How is this not a big deal? her entire life is going to be changed forever. Everyone has to celebrate this day with her," I stressed, unable to wrap my head around how careless Aife was about her big day. It was unfair.


    No, she was unfair. To herself and others too. We wanted to celebrate our Luna, we wanted to show her how much she means to us and how much she truly deserves. There was no way I would allow her to sweep this under the rug and pretend nothing was happening.


    "Wait, I think I know what might be wrong with her," K muttered and stood up from her seat.


    I watched her as she started pacing the office and mumbling something under her breath. Whatever thought didn''t leave her alone, it almost looked like she was haunted by it as K didn''t stop even for a second. "Okay, you got me. Tell me too, I will die of curiosity if you don''t," I whined.


    K stopped and turned her whole body to face me. Her eyes were wide, but not in a shocked way, more like that of disbelief. "I can''t believe you haven''t figured this out yet," she gasped, cing a hand over her chest. I raised an eyebrow. "Haven''t figured out what exactly? I''m no magician, babe, and I''m not that smart either, so please, enlighten me."


    K cleared her throat. "Luna might meet her mate, if he''s around here. What if she isn''t mated to the Alpha? What if she doesn''t want to celebrate the day in which she might possibly lose the man she has fallen in love with? Have you thought about this?"


    With every word that escaped my mate''s lips, I sunk deeper into the chair I was sitting on. How did she put two and two together so easily while I seemed to struggle to understand the simplest of things?


    This was unfair. I wanted to be just as smart as my little mate was!


    "You''re right, holy shit," I gasped and pped a hand over my forehead. "What do we do now? Clearly, we can''t tell her we''re nning something, but we also can''t let her sink into some depression or shit either. How do we uplift her spirit and make her excited about this?"


    "I think I might have an idea. But for that, you''ll need to reach out to Alpha Bane," K whispered, stepping closer to the desk and then, fucking finally, walking around it.


    There was no obstacle between us anymore, so she didn''t feel as far away from me as she did on the other side of the desk. I held my breath as K stepped closer, giving me the perfect chance, which I took in a heartbeat.


    I reached out, grabbed her hip and pulled K to me. She didn''t try to pull away as I pulled her into myp and pressed my lips to her cheek in a quick peck.


    "So, are you going to call the Alpha or do I need to leave this room for you to do that?"

 165: Were meant to be.

    **Aife pov**


    Looking back in time, I couldn''t believe how much I had changed ever since I entered Bane''s pack.


    When he first took me here, I couldn''t wait for my birthday, I couldn''t wait to meet my wolf and escape this ce.


    But now, I feared the day. Not because of the wolf, but because of the dreadful possibility of having a mate.


    As a small girl, I wanted one. Desperately. I dreamed of that man, who was made for me, meant for me in all senses of the word - the man who would take me by a storm and sweep me off my feet.


    But today, I didn''t want that man.


    I wanted Bane.


    I wanted him with all his shorings, just the way he was. The man, who was rough around the edges and at times, could act like a heartless beast. The man who broke me just to put me back together and teach me how to love. While the rest of the world probably saw me as a fool, I knew they didn''t understand anything. They didn''t understand how much Bane truly meant for me and how much I meant for him.


    But now, all I could do was stand in the bedroom, hidden behind the locked door, staring at my reflection in the mirror.


    Every second that passed was nothing but a tormentful moment of my own memories, attacking me.


    Those were fairly recent, to be exact - the very moment when the cook told me when that stupid food delivery woulde in.


    I still felt the cold shivers running through my body while her voice echoed in my mind. Was there a chance to stop the time? Could Ie up with a way to rid myself of a birthday and never reach it?


    There were death or bing a vampire, but neither of them were appealing to me. I was desperate, but not to a level that would destroy me to bits and pieces. No.


    Sucking in a deep, heavy breath, I closed my eyes and focused on my thoughts. Surely, if worse happened, I coulde up with a solution, right?


    I could reject the mate I never wanted. I could tell the man that I had fallen in love with someone else and no bond would ever be as strong as one that Bane and I shared.


    A chuckle left me. Funny how months ago, I tried to escape; I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, while now, I didn''t want to leave. Ever.


    And I wouldn''t. If that was what Bane wanted, I wouldn''t step my foot over the pack borders and remain inside the territory forever. If it meant we could stay happy together, in our own little bubble, I was willing to do anything. A sudden knock to my door startled me so much, I jumped.


    Parting my lips, I was about to call out for the person to enter the room, but all that left me was a low, whispered, "shoot," when I remembered that I had locked the door.


    Rather irritated by my own actions, I stomped towards the door and unlocked it. I had no idea why I had gotten so darn angry, but I pulled the door wide open with so much anger, I nearly started screaming at the person on the other side. When I saw it was K, the anger instantly left me and a sense of peace washed over me. "Oh, it''s you," I whispered, leaning against the doorframe. "What''s up?" I asked, trying but failing, to sound as calm as I could.


    K nced over my shoulder, as if she was worried that there was someone besides me inside the bedroom. That thought irritated me, I would never betray Bane like that. Ever, even in his wildest nightmares.


    "I''m alone, stop scanning the room like you''re looking for an intruder or a lover. Tell me why you came here and let me spend some time alone, please."


    I knew I sounded annoyed and angry, but I couldn''t fake being nice anymore. Even if I tried. It was more of my problem, that I knew, but as a result, I was angry at the entire world.


    "May Ie in?" She asked, ignoring my presence and brushing past me.


    "d you bothered to ask. No, you can''t enter my bedroom, I really want to spend some time alone. But oh well, since you already did without waiting for an answer, feel free to check the closet, bathroom, under the bed, damn it, go for the drawers as well, and see if you can find what you''re looking for," I grumbled.


    "I didn''te here to ruin your mood even more than it has already been ruined. I came here to talk and offer support. Oh, and share some news." K spoke with nothing but excitement,cing her voice.


    Slowly, I closed the door and spun on my heel to face her. As soon as I did, I pressed my back against the door for some support, "I really don''t feel like talking, sorry," I admitted.


    But again, my words meant nothing for her. Now, she was acting like a true Beta female and I wasn''t too fond of the simrities she shared with Zion at this point.


    K pped her hands together and danced a little to show how excited she was. Then, she delivered the news that both exited me and terrified me to no end.


    "Since you''ve been so secretive about your big day and apparently no one in this pack knew about it, Zion had to do something about it. He had to tell someone very special to you that your birthday is approaching and your special someone might be back home just in time to hold your hand when the clock strikes!" She squealed.


    My jaw dropped. So did my stomach and heart. Insane waves of fear ran through me as even more washed over me. Bane.


    What if he wasn''t my mate after all?


    "I don''t think I can deal with this now. I''m not ready," I bbed, focusing my gaze on my feet to ground myself, if only a little.


    If the stress didn''t fade, I knew I would start hyperventting soon, or even worse, experience a full-blown panic attack.


    "I have a feeling that I know why you''re being so off-putting about the birthday deal, but I don''t think you have anything to worry about. Especially in every sense that is connected to your Alpha. Zion told me more about you two and since I believe Alpha truly loves you, he won''t give up that easily, regardless of what might happen next." K shrugged and stepped closer to me.


    She reached out her hand to grab mine and squeezed it. "Trust me this once, everything will be okay. You will be okay and so will your Alpha. Stop scaring yourself with the possibilities and enjoy the moment. You two deserve happiness and that''s exactly what the two of you are giving each other. Who cares what the Goddess thinks if you know that Bane and you were meant to be?"

 166: Speak of the devil.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The treatment was helping me get back to my feet. After another, ridiculously long nap, I woke up energized and so full of strength, I actually got out of the bed and walked around the room.


    After the first three rounds, I realized I could walk around freely without getting dizzy, falling over my own feet or copsing, so finally, in what felt to be weeks, I left the room and started walking around the pack house. The halls were long and wide, every wall adorned with paintings of Alphas and Lunas from the previous generations.


    In time, as I kept running into more and more people, I smiled at them all and greeted everyone, slowly warming the pack people up to me. Soon enough, some of them stopped to have a quick chat or ask me about how I felt.


    I wasn''t sure if it was true worry or they were beating around the bush to find out when they would get me out of their hair, but I still appreciated the opportunity to chat with everyone.


    When I finally reached the staircase, I hesitated a little. Walking straight wasn''t an issue, but if anything happened and I got dizzy, I would roll down these massive stairs and break a few bones in the process, which was something I really didn''t want to happen.


    I wasn''t afraid of the pain. I was worried that more injuries would keep me away from her for even longer than necessary.


    And besides, I was still so stupidly weak because of the silver, which I couldn''t understand how I survived, so any bump in the way would lead me to serious issues.


    Just as I was about to take the first step, someone grabbed my upper arm. My head shot to the right and eyes instantly met a pair of very warm, green orbs.


    "Alpha, let me help you. Don''t take this as a sign of showing off strength, take it as a king gesture. The whole pack is worried about your recovery, we have been told it is dangerous for you to walk around alone, so plenty of guards are looking for you everywhere." He spoke with so much respect, I was surprised to receive it.


    Usually, I was the one who was feared, not respected and held high, so this really came as a surprise.


    "I''m a little unsteady on my feet, but I think I can do this," I replied with as much respect as I was given.


    The guard grinned. "It''s fine, let me help you. Where were you heading?"


    "Okay," I agreed and allowed him to toss my arm around his shoulder as we slowly started descending the stairs. "I was on my way to see if I could have a quick chat with the king."


    "Oh, he''s in the downstairs office. I believe he had to take a call, but he should still be in there. Let me lead the way."


    "Thank you," I beamed at him.


    Ever since Aife, I had learned many things and in a way, I had also changed. Honestly, for the better. I wasn''t as grumpy and moody anymore, these days, I even wanted to be kind to others, which really came as a shock.


    "You''re not even half as scary as others told me. Maybe because you''re still in the process of recovery or maybe it''s because you''ve been made a bigger monster than you actually are. My name is Tim, by the way. I''m the Alpha''s guard." He spoke without looking at me.


    Unlike me, Tim was actually paying attention to our feet to ensure neither of us tripped over ourselves.


    With a slight chuckle, I just nodded. "Maybe, maybe," I said without adding more details. Sometimes, a bit of mystery was good and it really didn''t hurt anyone. "My name is Bane, but you probably already know that. It''s nice to meet you." He returned the pleasantries and from there, we kept walking in silence. I appreciated the mood that surrounded us - it was light and easy, no tension at all. I needed it. Just a moment of silence with no stress, fear and overthinking. By the time we reached the bottom of the stairs, I had managed to lose myself in my thoughts. Thankfully, Tim was near to pull me back to reality.


    "Over there," he pointed his finger at another hall. "That''s where the office is." He added and grinned.


    "Thank fuck it''s not a mile away," I muttered, making Timugh.


    Maybe he thought I was joking around, but I wasn''t. My knees were already burning so bad, I doubted I could walk for any longer.


    As he led me to the door, Tim knocked on it and cleared his throat, "my king, Alpha Bane is here to speak to you."


    No longer than a few secondster, the door flew open and the king instantly grabbed me, pulling me towards him like some doll. "You crazy man, couldn''t you send someone to get me? Why are you tiring yourself with walking? Bane, you''re supposed to be on the bed rest," he scolded me as if I was his child, not a friend.


    Tim and I burst out inughter at the same time. I wasughing so hard, I couldn''t say a word, so the guard took over. "I believe Alpha Bane finally felt strong enough to leave his room, hence why he decided to walk here. My king, I was at his side to ensure no idents happen. And besides, we all know how Alphas are, stubborn as hell."


    His words didn''t even offend me. Tim had a way of speaking that didn''t make me feel like he was attacking or ridiculing me. A pleasant change, really.


    And as it seemed, the king felt the same. He joined in onughing at the stupid situation and agreed with Tim. "Thank you for helping my friend. I believe he wanted to talk in private, so if you don''t mind, could you stick around the office and help outter if needed? We might have to carry him back to the room."


    Tim gave the king a quick nod and looked at me. "I''ll go grab some snacks from the kitchen, you take care of yourself Alpha Bane, I will return a littleter."


    With that being said, Tim spun around and walked away. The king pulled me inside the office and sat me down on a massive recliner and then walked to the door to shut it.


    "You''re crazy, Bane. Fucking mad. What could have been so damn important for you to risk your health like this? You''ve made a massive progress, but not big enough to run around like some drugged up fairy. Fuck, we have no idea how you survived the damn silver and you''re still taking this situation lightly?"


    Ignoring nearly all of his words, I grinned. "I want to borrow your phone to call Zion and check on how my pack is doing. Isn''t that important enough?" I shed him the stupidest smile.


    As if on cue, his phone went off. He lifted one finger for me to wait and checked the screen just to let out the most frustrated groan I had ever heard. Then, he turned the screen towards me to show me the called ID and grumbled, "speak of the devil."

 167: You love me.

    **Bane


    pov**


    "I can answer that one for you," the king mouthed.


    I shook my head and reached my hand for the phone, but seeing how stupidly exhausted I was after the quick walk around the house and down the stairs, the fucker grinned and epted the call only to press the phone to his ear. Rolling my eyes at him, I let out a weak grunt, suddenly feeling like I was so tired, I could fall asleep here, right in front of him.


    "Well, hello there, Beta Zion. I''m so happy to hear from you. Is there a reason why you are calling me on this beautiful day? Good news, perhaps?" The king spoke in a high pitched tone, clearly to keep me awake and annoy me at the same time.


    I grunted again, hating the fact that he didn''t have enough decency to at least put the call on the speaker so I could hear what Zion had to say.


    "He is here, but how do I put it in.. Well, your Alpha is still recovering and being the stubborn asshole he is, he decided to use up all of the energy reserves he built up and walk to me, not ask for me. So, as a result, right now, he''s barely awake on the recliner, quite visibly fighting the urge to pass the fuck out," the kingughed.


    Now, he was really mocking me. This was so stupidly, bloody unfair. All I wanted was to get some rest, maybe just close my eyes for a couple of seconds and he took all of it to his advantage.


    In general, he was painting a picture of an awfully wounded animal, barely staying alive while I was all but that. I was still the Alpha, the man so many feared, just a little sleepy, that was all.


    "Oh, I might do that, but first, you need to tell everything to me. Let''s say I will act like a filter in this situation and decide if Bane can hear you out. Don''t get me wrong, I am not trying to build a wall between you two or ruin the friendship, it''s quite the opposite. What I am trying to do here is to ensure your Alpha recovers and returns home in full strength, capable to lead his pack and fight for his people, if needed. We don''t need unnecessary casualties, do we?" He grinned at me.


    Great, judging by the grin on his lips, it seemed that the king was giving me a lecture of how to act and react to things rather than exining the situation to Zion.


    Sometimes, even when they had my best interest at heart, I really hated how my friends were.


    "I have a shit taste in friends, that''s a fact," I grumbled loud enough for him to hear.


    My statement made himugh. "Oh, Bane over here just told me that he has what he calls a shit taste in friends," the king repeated my words to Zion and I could barely hear it, but I heard my Betaugh at that too.


    I wondered if any of them realized that they were kind of proving my point here. What friend wasughing at someone in their time of need? And I was in need. A bad one. In need of my Luna and home.


    "Now that we have gotten over the exnations and established that Bane can still act like a dick, even as weak as he is, how about we get to the point? Tell me, what is the reason for this call?"


    I tried my best to listen in but it seemed like my stupid supernatural hearing wasn''t working when I needed it the most. Heightened senses my ass, they didn''t work for shit anymore.


    "Oh, well that''s a plot twist. Does Bane know?" The king asked, catching my attention.


    Somehow, I managed to sit up a little straighter and pay more attention to the phone call. I wanted to be a part of it, but of course, both of my friends had built an alliance against me so I didn''t believe my involvement would happen anytime


    soon.


    "He doesn''t? How? That doesn''t sound right to me," the king grumbled, suddenly pinning me down with his gaze as if Imitted a crime or something.


    Why was I guilty of something I didn''t know about? What was this nightmare?


    "Oh, so it''s a secret? Well, I suppose the cat is out of the bag now, so we can''t call it a secret anymore. Anyway, what are you nning? How is this whole thing going to go down?"


    Another pause, longer one this time. The king was paying full attention to everything Zion said, following every word and nodding in between. When it looked like Zion had finished exining everything, a smile appeared on the king''s lips, slowly stretching wider and wider, nearly reaching his ears.


    "I think it''s an amazing idea. I will tell him everything myself, if that''s okay with you. But first, I need to get his sleepy ass back to the room and bed before he passes out in the office," he added and chuckled.


    I had enough strength to roll my eyes at the annoying fucker, so I did. As soon as he noticed, the all-mighty king flipped me off and winked. "Yes, Beta Zion, I understand. Thank you for the heads up, I will give you a call in a few hours, but I believe this is something we could pull off. We have plenty of time and he''s already recovering faster than anyone I''ve known to experience familiar issues."


    After a brief pause he chuckled. "Yes, I will let him know. I''ll talk to youter, Beta. Have a good day."


    As the call ended, the king didn''t offer me any exnations or information. Instead, he ced his phone on the desk, screen down, and walked around it to step in front of me.


    "Is there anything you would like to tell me?" I muttered and instantly yawned, hating how weak and useless I was feeling.


    "Nope," he clicked his tongue and bent down to lift me from the recliner. In true moron''s fashion, he threw me over his shoulder and started walking towards the door. Then, just to add more hurt to the misery, he pped my ass and added, "I will tell you everything once you''re in your little bed, under some nice, warm nket. First, I''ll read you a bedtime story and then, I will tuck you in and share the conversation I had with your Beta." "You''re fucking mad," I hissed.


    "And you love me for it." The king instantly replied andughed so loud, the sound echoed against the walls.


    I bit my tongue and remained silent, knowing how he was and how easy it would be for him toe up with quick answers to every word I would say.


    As he carried me up the stairs, I almost passed out. I literally felt like a child that was being carried around and lulled into sleep.


    Then, just as promised, once he carried me to the room, the kingid me on the bed and tucked me in. "You''re a mad bastard, you know that right?"


    "Oh, well, yes of course. You''re not the first one to tell me,¡± he grinned and pulled a chair closer to my bed to sit down.


    I half expected him to actually go through with his threats about the bedtime story, but instead, he just sat there, watching me.


    With every blink of my eyes, I grew more tired and it was bing increasingly harder for me to fight the tiredness. At that point, I finally realized that this was what he was nning all along. To wait until I was too tired to move and then drop the bomb.


    "Your Luna''s birthday is in seven days. If you behave and stay in bed to heal, I will let you leave this pack. If not, I will have no other choice but to take you to the castle and lock you up until you get better. Think about this, my friend. As bad as this sounds, don''t forget that I truly worry about your health and well being."

 168: Leave.

    **Aife pov**


    Nobody made me a clear promise, but as the days slowly dragged by, I was growing more and more excited about my birthday.


    Okay, I lied. I wasn''t excited about the birthday or the day in general, I was excited about the possibility of Bane, finallying home.


    He had been away for so long, I couldn''t believe I could have slept even for an hour without him next to me. Without him holding me in his arms and making me feel safe.


    In a way, it was both funny and sad at the same time how my priorities had changed over the time I spent in this pack.


    Years ago, I was so full of excitement to reach the big day, but not it all shifted. Back then, I knew my dad would be there to sing me a happy birthday song, watch me blow the candles on the cake and open the presents..


    But now? Now I didn''t want that at all. The songs, gifts and cake held no value. Maybe this meant that I had finally grown up and didn''t focus on everything that didn''t hold any importance? I hoped so. I really did.


    To distract myself, I hummed a tone under my breath and checked the boxes and bags of outfits Zion had brought me today. He and K went out shopping and she had chosen some new clothes for me. I appreciated the effort and the thought, but honestly, I felt better running around wearing Bane''s t-shirts and hoodies, not dresses and high heels.


    "You''re making this more difficult than it has to be. First, stop overreacting, okay? And now, remember that you need to look your best on your birthday. Remember that you''re not trying to impress your man, he''s already impressed, so this time, do it for yourself," K had scolded me when I first mentioned that I wanted to look good for Bane.


    While she had a point, the poor thing didn''t see how she was contradicting herself. I, apparently, wasn''t allowed to look pretty and get dressed to the tens for my man, while she freaked out every morning because she didn''t want Zion to see her with her hair being a mess. Who was overreacting now?


    However, as I rummaged through the piles of new and very expensive looking clothing, I couldn''t help but feel a little disappointed.


    I didn''t want toe across as selfish, self-absorbed, spoiled, or Goddess forbid ungrateful, but all of these things were anything but me.


    I didn''t like everything high end just because it had high prices. Sure, some fabrics were very soft to the touch, but the quality was awful and I didn''t even want to start on describing how those pieces looked.


    To put them all in perspective, I felt like I was surrounded by a fashion show that had been inspired by the unfortunate people who lived on the streets. Some of the pieces looked dirty, some were torn up on purpose and the list went on. Mentally, I was developing a n on how to hide these clothes or even better, sell them and donate money to the charity. Maybe I could even return them to the stores and then give money to those who really needed it?


    A smile crept on my lips as I decided that would be exactly what I would do. Once Bane was home, he could take me to those stores and help me return everything and then, Zion couldn''t say anything because I could hide behind my man. My heart started beating a little faster and my chest became warmer every time I thought about Bane. And not only that - whenever he was on my mind, I waspletely oblivious to everything that happened around me. Which kind of sucked because then, I didn''t notice anyone creeping up on me. Just like now, because the guard who cleared his throat right next to me startled me so much, I actually screamed.


    "I''m deeply sorry for startling you, Luna, but I''ve been sent here to tell you that the witch in the cells wants to talk to you again. Beta Zion was very hesitant about this as thest time didn''t go by smoothly and she didn''t tell you anything of use, but this time, she''s begging to see you. She''s iming she had a vision and you must know. The pack agreed to take this as a serious safety matter so we all think you should see her."


    The poor man sounded so ufortable and scared, I really didn''t know how to react.


    I wasn''t too excited to see her again, that woman was the definition of madness, but I also felt a little grateful for a chance to get out of the room and away from the piles of clothing.


    Rather quickly, I jumped to my feet, so fast that I got dizzy and almost fell. If it weren''t for the fast instincts of the guard and his ability to catch me, I would be on the floor now.


    "Woah, Luna, take it easy. Are you okay? Do you need to sit down? Should I call the pack doctor to check on you? I don''t think you should go to the witch if you don''t feel good." Nothing but concernced his words.


    "I''m fine," I whispered, gently pushing the guard away. "It''s probably because I''ve been sitting down for so long and my legs got wiggly or something. Don''t mind me, I''m okay." I smiled at him.


    Cautiously, the guard stepped away and nodded. "If you insist, Luna."


    Just to make a point, I mimicked his tone, "I do insist."


    The guard chuckled at my behavior and spun around, heading for the door. "Let''s go then, I will walk you there and remain close by just to ensure you stay safe," he called at me. With a slight smirk across my lips, I followed in his footsteps. My mind was going into wild circles as I tried to figure out what the witch might tell me.


    A part of me doubted any information she had would ever benefit me, but the curiosity killed the cat, right? Good thing I wasn''t a cat then.


    With every step closer to the doors to the cells, I grew more uneasy. I wasn''t sure why, but the area had a weird atmosphere around it - dark, inviting, yet dangerous at the same time.


    My heart started hammering in my chest so hard, I could hear the pounding in my ears. My palms started sweating and my breath got stuck in my throat more than once.


    By the time I stood in front of the cell, I felt like sweat was pouring off me like a waterfall. What on earth was going on? Why all of a sudden, standing in front of this man woman, I feel like I was on a stage, an object of everyone''s ridicule? "Get away from here. Get away before he returns. Go away and never look back at this ce. I don''t like you, but I don''t wish your fate upon my worst enemies. Pain, so much pain, that''s all I see for you. You''ll be a pawn, a toy in his hands. He will use you and toss you away as soon as you break. Leave, I beg you, leave."


    My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. What type of a sick nightmare was this? Where was this informationing from?


    As reluctantly as I approached this ce, now, I wanted to run out of here as fast as I could, despite my legs being frozen inside the ground I was standing on.


    I really wanted to get away from here, but my heart was overruled by my mind, which forced me to get involved with this woman''s madness.


    "What do you mean?" I heard myself ask.


    Somehow, while I stood here, I felt like this was some sick out of the body experience. I didn''t feel like it was myself who looked and talked to her.


    Was it possible for a soul to leave the body and stand aside to watch the nightmare happen? I seemed like it was..


    "Didn''t you listen to me? I''m telling you - you must leave. If you want to live, if you want to enjoy a couple more years down the line, you must get the hell out of this ce. He won''t spare anyone, he won''t spare you either," she hissed, slowly approaching the cell bars.


    Her eyes glowed as if someone had possessed her, blood ran down her mouth and overall, this woman looked like she was in debt with death. A creepy sight to see, really.


    Taking a step back, I stuttered, "I-I need the a-answers. I can''t believe y-you just because y-you said so. I-I need proof."


    With everything within me, I didn''t want to believe a word that left her lips. Witches were known liars, they did everything to manipte and deceive others, so there was no saying this one wasn''t trying to do the same.


    Who knew, perhaps she tried to get me out of here only to hurt Bane? That kind of made sense because one of the closest people to Bane took her arms and she most likely wanted revenge for the wrongdoings.


    "Don''t believe me for all I care," she scoffed. "I already made it clear that I don''t like you but I wouldn''t wish what I saw upon anyone. If you''re so keen to live the nightmare, stay. If you''re smart - you''ll get out of here before the next morninges because then, he will arrive too."

 169: He’s in love.

    **Bane


    pov**


    It felt a little foolish that someone actually thought that they could hold me back from doing what I wanted. Even more so, if they decided to bring up Aife.


    A part of me couldn''t understand how I''ve been so foolish. As I stared at the king, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks - her birthday was barely a week away, and I had no damn clue about it. I had forgotten to ask her when it was. How? How could I have been so careless, so damn blind and oblivious?


    We had been together for a while now. We had shared the wildest of experiences both as enemies and lovers, and at one point, I had silently prided myself on knowing Aife so damn well without asking her intrusive questions. Yet, in this one crucial aspect, I had failed miserably.


    The king still watched me, probably expecting an answer or reaction, but I was so stuck in my mind, so overtaken by the disbelief and disappointment I felt that I couldn''t show any reaction even if I really wanted to.


    The room seemed to close in on me as I reyed some of the memories we shared in my mind. We were lying on the bed, Aife in my arms, so close we could almost be one with each other, wrapped up in each other''s warmth andfort, silent as ever.


    Back then, that was when I could have used the chance I had. Aife had asked me in passing when was my birthday, but I never bothered to return the same question. She had the right to think that I truly didn''t care about her, especially if I wasn''t a decent enough man to ask the right questions.


    Now, as the realization set in, a wave of insane disappointment washed over me. How could I have missed something so important? Birthdays were a big deal, especially when turning twenty-one - a milestone, a rite of passage. Aife was about to meet her wolf, be a new person, grow and most importantly - meet her mate.


    Goddess, no one had any idea how much I feared thest one. How much I feared that there was a man out there, who was ready to worship and love her the way she deserved it. While I had tried my best to be the man she needed and wanted, even I knew I fucking sucked.


    And yet, while all of those thoughts and fears coursed through me, here I was, unable to move a goddamn muscle, caught off guard, still wondering how I could be that oblivious to those around me to miss a date that meant the world to the woman I loved with all my heart.


    I sighed, running my hands through my hair in frustration. The disappointment in myself was palpable. It wasn''t just about never finding out a date - it was about basically proving to Aife that I never cared enough to open my damn mouth and do a task as simple as ask a question.


    Fuck, I was a moron. A top shelf moron, expensive one, very hard to find. Possibly the only one ever made. Yeah, for French I would be expensive perfume, but in reality, I''m an asshole through and through. But now, with only seven days left, I felt a growing sense of urgency to make things right.


    Sure, I still had to figure out how to get away from here and return home first. That part, yeah, it didn''t seem like something easy to aplish as the king still sat on the bed and watched me like a hawk. "Don''t," he suddenly barked, nearly making me jump.


    I arched an eyebrow, acting like I had no idea why he decided to scare me all of a sudden. I knew why his reaction was aggression - the guy could read me like an open book, he knew I processed the information and realized that I had fucked up, so now, I was nning my escape.


    "And don''t act like you don''t know why the mood in this room changed. Bane, you are a great man, even greater Alpha, but in your soul, you are a fucking teenage boy. You forget important shit and then, your dick suddenly does the thinking. Surely, it can''t be your brain that is thinking right now, because my dear friend, there is no way you''ll get out of here without being noticed. So, don''t, just don''t even think of it." He grunted and ran a hand through his hair, clearly close to as frustrated as I was feeling.


    Sucking in a deep breath, I shook my head. "It''s just that I can''t seem to escape the weight of my actions. How could I have been so blind? So fucking consumed by the routine of life that I managed to neglect the need to cherish the details that make her unique? I never asked when her birthday is. Never. The love of my life is about to turn twenty-one and here I am,pletely unaware of that fact. Imagine what would happen if I were home. Just imagine. I would spend the day acting like I always do and the next moment, boom, she''s down, crying and screaming in pain, about to meet her wolf while I stand aside, wondering what the fuck is happening."


    With each word that left me, the weight of my actions became worse. At one point, I found it hard to breathe and focus on anything but the fact of how much I had fucked this all up.


    As my friend, he had to give me advice. Or at least listen and pretend that he was thinking, but what I got instead was a fit ofughter.


    The kingughed so loudly, he looked like a madman. As if there were ghosts tickling his feet and holding him hostage, never allowing the poor man to take a breath.


    "Ha-ha, such a jokester I am, so funny, even I can''t stopughing. Geez, I''m having so much fun here, d my words amused you too. I would be so bummed if you wouldn''t find this confession just as damn funny as I did too. I''m about to cryughing any moment now," I grunted, clearly voicing my displeasure with his attitude and behavior.


    However, to my surprise, instead of being the absolute dick he so often was, the king instantly stoppedughing and pinned me down with his gaze.


    "I wasn''tughing at your fuck up," he announced without any extra information.


    Thest thing I wanted to do was to pull information out of him. I was okay with the king, willingly exining himself, but I refused to turn this conversation into interrogation. I wasn''t a cop.


    Rolling my eyes, I grunted a low, "whatever" and left it at that.


    Soon enough, the room was silent again. We didn''t look at each other nor offer any exnations. After the first few minutes I was so tired of the silence, the only thing on my mind was a stupid nap and finding a chance to get out of here. "Bane," he sighed, still looking at the wall. "I wasughing because I couldn''t believe my ears. I know this sounds silly, but trust me, you wouldugh too. Especially if you would really hear yourself now. Instead of being your usual careless self, you''re having a mental breakdown because you didn''t know anything about the birthday. You''re freaking out. Man, I can''t believe it. Alpha Bane, of all people, he''s in love. Wow."

 170: You should listen.

    **Aife pov**


    This encounter with the witch had left a lingering sense of unease in the pit of my stomach. Her words, those hit the hardest. Almost heavy enough to echo in my mind like a haunting melody.


    Her name was Salem and from what I heard from K, this woman was powerful. Too powerful to be contained. Far too powerful for her own good. And bitter - angry at the world, spiteful, so darn furious that everyone didn''t kiss her feet that in time, her own anger poisoned her.


    As her name echoed in my mind, the sound sent shivers down my spine. I was sure that there were many people out there, who experienced the same reaction if they ever heard anything about this woman.


    Deep down, I had a bad feeling about this. Not only the fact that the witch suddenly needed to see me and decided to warn me about something, but the overall situation. Something was telling me that there was no way that her power and rage could be contained by removing her arms.


    There was that crazed, haunted look in her eyes. The look that could scare the bravest of the warriors, the fiercest of leaders and even most loving mothers. It was a low blow to anyone, even if only echoing in my mind, but I wouldn''t be surprised if Salem''s mother feared her daughter.


    Tilting my head to the left, I stole a moment to take her in once again. K mentioned some details about Salem being a cunning woman who had mastered dark arts that danced on the de of death. If I didn''t know how truly evil she could be, I would doubt the things I heard about Salem.


    She was beautiful. Stunning. But behind that breathtaking beauty was a hint of innocence that hadn''t faded with time and rage. Maybe she still used it against her victims? What if Salem wanted toe across as a naive, lost woman who just needed some peace of mind and sce, just to strike once she trapped the next victim in her web of lies?


    "Luna Aife," Salem spoke again, her voice a low, melodic whisper that seemed to have the power to pull me closer. Without noticing it, I had, in fact, stepped closer to the cell, unable to fight the need to get as close as I could until her voice broke the silence again. "We need to talk. You need to listen. I can see you''re curious, so if you don''t want to speak yourself, at least listen."


    Sucking in a deep breath, I braced myself and looked straight into Salem''s eyes, as if my attempt to appear strong would work on her. Then, I shook my head, much to her displeasure. "I think you already said enough just moments ago, Salem. After everything you''ve done here, I''m sure you understand that your kind is not wee here. Didn''t Beta Zion make it obvious enough for you when he took your arms?"


    Her eyes widened for a split second, but the initial shock faded as if it hadn''t been there. Salem was good like that - hiding her emotions and forcing them down until she needed some extra trigger to release her rage.


    This wasn''t a ce for that. I would be damned if she ever released her anger in this pack, if she ever targeted any of the pack members just because she was angry about something.


    But to my surprise, instead of acting like she had all this time, Salem chuckled. An emotion I couldn''t describe danced in her eyes as Salem dismissed my words and kept talking about what mattered to her.


    "I understand your hesitation, chosen Luna. I really do. If I were to stand in your shoes, I too would hesitate if anyone had fed me the lies they feed you here. However, I must stress that it is enough if you spare a moment and listen. Don''t think, don''t ponder my words, just listen. All I want is to voice my concerns to you directly as it is you who is targeted, not anyone else."


    Had I lost my mind? Maybe I had a fever? I wasn''t sure, but darn, she truly sounded genuinely worried about my well-being. Was it a good idea to listen at all? I wasn''t sure..


    And yet, for some reason, I couldn''t force myself to leave. I couldn''t move for an inch, too worried about missing a moment of this conversation.


    While Salem waited for me to speak, I made the quickest decision in my life. Only time would tell if it was the right one.


    I scoffed at her and took another step closer, as if we were about to whisper the words. "You attacked us. You came with an army, a whole army of trained wolves and witches, all of them thirsty for blood, definitely ready to tear our pack apart. Why should I believe anything you say? Give me one good reason and I will listen."


    I made a promise I didn''t know if I could keep. Salem, on the other hand, epted my conditions and nodded. Her eyes bore into mine, and for a moment, I felt a chill travel all the way down to my bones. The corner of her lip twitched and I knew it was her. She did it, even without arms.


    "You should listen to me because your life is in danger and I have information that can save you. If you still want to leave, be my guest, take the high road and find out what happens, but again, if I were you, I would listen."


    "Save me? From what?" Iughed as I pointed a finger at myself. "Salem, your kind has never been anything but trouble for wolves. Even before I met you, I knew we had to avoid witches. No one tells others to avoid someone without a reason. Why would I trust you now?"


    Salem was quickly on her feet, taking a step closer to the cell door. Even with missing limbs, she managed to have this energy surrounding her. While rather weird, Salem''s movements were as graceful as those of a swan, ready to take off into the sky.


    "The Alpha you follow, the one you love - he carries a curse. It feels like a dark magic that twists his very being, but it''s not that. It''s not. I would know. I would feel my magic, it would invite me to step closer, but this one, it drives me away like a rotten corpse. But that doesn''t matter to you, does it?" Now, she tilted her head to scan me. "You''ve seen it. You''ve seen the signs. The erratic behavior, the moments of inexplicable darkness. The curse of double personality." My breath caught in my throat as my heart nearly stopped in my chest. I had witnessed the shifts in his demeanor, the moments when the kindness in his eyes morphed into something far more sinister.


    But as true as it sounded, I still refused to fully believe her words. Everyone had heard about Bane, far too many people knew about him and how he was - this was something any stranger could tell me. Well, except the mention of the signs I had seen, but that could be exined as a wild and oddly precise guess.


    "You expect me to believe that?" I asked. Sadly, my voice gave out just how much I believed her words and how hard I was fighting against it..


    "I understand your doubts, but keep in mind that I have no reason to lie. Not anymore. I have no cat and no arms. Once your Alpha returns, he will kill me. So, I figured that if I''m going down, I''m going down with an explosion. As a witch, I refuse to let anyone off the hook easily." She grinned.


    Arching my eyebrow, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and whispered, "tell me more."


    "The curse is ancient. That much I can say for a fact. Hard to exin really and while I had lived many lives and experienced many things, I hadn''t seen anything like this ever. It''s unrecognizable in its roots, which in itself is extremely off in the magic world. I saw a vision, it didn''t exin much about the curse itself but it promised to leave nothing but destruction and blood in its wake."


    I nodded, once. "But why are you telling me all of this?"


    Salem rolled her eyes at me. "Just like I said - I don''t like you but I wouldn''t wish what I saw upon anyone. Also, I might feel slightly bad for you. This, any of this mess, is no fault of yours. You''re caught in the crossfire of a battle that isn''t yours. If you stay, you will be another number added to the statistics."


    I took a step back, "if what you say is true, why did you want to attack the pack in the first ce? Was it really toe here and get K? You don''t seem too worried about her.."


    Salemughed. "Silly, my kitty is fine, she has a new owner, a better one. The attack, well, first it was about her butter, after I felt what surrounded the territory, I wanted to snoop around and what''s a better way to do it than an attack? Let''s say I didn''t expect the chaos my move would cause."


    "So that''s all? Youe here, cause chaos and expect me to leave? I should abandon the only ce I have ever felt at home and safe, the only man who has ever truly loved me, and the life I have built here just because of some cryptic warning?"


    "Your love for the Alpha clouds your judgment," Salem insisted. "I don''t expect you to trust me, but I really hope you can consider the risk of not everything being as it seems. There are forces at y beyond our understanding. Even beyond my own."


    I scanned Salem''s face again, searching for any hint of deceit. But all I found was an intensity that spoke of genuine concern. "I can''t just leave. Not like that. I can''t leave the pack.. I can''t leave him," I finally admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "If you stay, you''ll be caught in the crossfire of a battle that isn''t yours to fight." Salem repeated herself and spun on her heel, turning her back to me. "Do as you wish, Luna Aife. I did my due diligence, I can wash my hands in the waters of innocence. Be careful."

 171: A void.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I couldn''t listen to her anymore. All of this was bing too much for me to bear. No matter how hard I tried to pretend everything was alright, I couldn''t hide my emotions.


    K imed they were written all over my face. Honestly, it was a little funny to watch her frown at me as Zion still held her in his arms. I swear, the guy thought she couldn''t use her legs even on the best of the days.


    "I don''t want to talk about it," I muttered and tried to turn my back on her, but the high-pitched scream that left K stopped me in my steps.


    "Don''t you turn your back on me, Aife. You might be the Luna of this pack, you might be the woman in power here, but you''re also my only friend in this ce. I am your friend too. Sit down in the living room and my mate will make us some tea while we gossip," she demanded.


    I couldn''t believe my ears. It wasn''t like I ever tried to put the title Bane gave me as an advantage card against someone, so it hurt to hear her mention it.


    The only thing I needed was some peace and silence. That was all. Just a little alone time.


    But here I was, listening to hermand and doing what I was told to do. Zion carried K to the living room and set her on the couch as if she was the most delicate thing on this. The way he looked at K reminded me of the way I had caught Bane gaze at me sometimes.


    Deep down, this made me wonder if Bane felt as strongly as Zion did with K. In a way, I hoped he did. But also, I hoped he didn''t.. Selfish, yes, but I too wanted to experience the bond that K had with Zion.


    We weren''t meant to love whoever we wanted to love. We had to love the gift handed to us by the Goddess. Sadly, Bane wasn''t blessed with the chance to have a gift like that. Maybe I was, but honestly, I dreaded it in a sense. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be as happy with Bane as these two were with each other, despite the rocky start they experienced.


    "So?" K''s voice brought me out of my thoughts.


    I had no idea how much time had passed, but Zion was nowhere to be seen and the silence in the rest of the main house felt almost ominous. Shifting in my seat, I raised an eyebrow at her. "So?"


    K rolled her eyes and huffed. "Aren''t you going to tell me what got you so upset all of a sudden? I heard that you went to the cells to talk to Salem. What did she tell you? Before you go all mental on me, let me stress one thing - if she mentioned her visions, it''s a fifty-fifty chance. Most of the time they don''te true. She''s great with spells and curses, but her ability to foresee the future is questionable."


    The weight that was crashing down on me suddenly felt so small, it didn''t matter anymore. If K was right, everything Salem mentioned wouldn''t happen. Ever. I could still get my happily ever after with the man I loved.


    "Tell me more," I blurted out, sessfully giving out the information I didn''t want to share. K''s eyes instantly widened as she realized my biggest fear was Salem''s words. Just because she didn''t know all the gruesome details didn''t mean she couldn''t imagine what might be the problem.


    "I will," K chuckled. "Right after you tell me more about her vision. Did Salem describe what she has seen? Most of the time, I can tell if the vision was real based on some details and objects she might mention. It''s how we always figured out if that was a void or true vision."


    "What''s a void?"


    Another chuckle left her as K shook her head. "I swear, you''re as curious as a child. Also, think, Aife, just think. Doesn''t the word exin itself?" She mused.


    "No, it doesn''t. For me, it might mean one thing but for witches it could be something extremely important, so I''m not risking anything. Besides, asking questions isn''t a crime so chop-chop, tell me what is a void." I insisted and got up from my seat.


    I needed to busy myself with something, so I started pacing the room. This was better than blowing up on someone who wasn''t to be med for anything.


    "A void is a useless vision. It''s something witches see when they''re under a lot of stress and pain. It''s like a forced prediction of the future that couldn''t be even further from the truth than it actually is. Usually, each witch has a different way to tell a true vision apart from a void. For some, it''s a feeling, for others, it''s a voice at the back of their heads, whispering or shouting, but for Salem, those are some details she sees in that vision. Usually, objects, and sometimes, while it happens rarely, those are certain words. Depends, really," K shrugged her shoulders as if her words were yet another mundane part of a conversation.


    Well, maybe for her it was.. But for me, someone who had never met a true witch, all of this was somethingpletely new and mind-blowing.


    "Anyway, is there anything you want to tell me?" She suddenly perked up.


    The odd thing was that K decided to change the topic all of a sudden. Realistically speaking, it was clear the conversation I had with Salem was now pushed to the back of her mind and something else poked her interest. The only problem was that I had no idea what she was talking about.


    "No? I don''t think so? What are you on about now? I''m not that good at figuring out secrets and quite frankly, I''m not in the mood to do that too." I grunted.


    Her mouth shaped a small ''o'' and her eyes widened, just a little. All of a sudden, the mood in the room turned into something I couldn''t exin. Almost as if she knew something I didn''t and now, it was her turn to withhold the information from me.


    "Ladies, I got your tea," Zion entered the living room right in time to disturb the tense moment. He set the tray with steaming cups on the coffee table and grinned at us both, visibly seeking some acknowledgement of how good of a job he had done.


    "Thank you, Zion. Could you please excuse us for a couple more minutes? I want to tell Aife more things about the Coven and how it works. But I would prefer to do it in private," K smiled at him, instantly melting the brute''s heart. Something in me broke as I watched Zion, acting like a lost puppy, too eager to please andply with every demand that left her lips. He quickly nodded his head and leaned in to peck her cheek. When Zion whispered a silent, yet truthful, "I love you," to K, once again, I found myself wondering if anything like this could be in my cards one day too.

 172: Between truth and illusion.

    **Aife pov**


    As soon as Zion left and K was sure he wasn''t hiding in the hall, listening in on our conversation, her eyes turned cold. K watched me with what seemed to be.. anger? "What?" I blurted out, taken aback by her cold demeanor.


    "Nothing," she grumbled and shifted in her seat. "Anyway, do you understand what voids are? Or do I need to give you more time to process the information before we move forward?"


    Honestly, the way her mood kept changing and K''s revtion about voids, the witches, and true visions - all of that added a newyer ofplexity to my already all-over-the-ce, crazy emotions.


    The base concept of a void, the misleading glimpse into the future it created and the details that could tell it apart from something that could be deemed true left me fighting my own thoughts and beliefs. There was nothing I wanted more than to deem all of Salem''s ominous predictions as a void.


    If what K said held any truth, perhaps there was a sliver of hope buried beneath the weight of my fears. Barely visible, yet still there.


    For some reason, I started pacing the room again, but this time, my own steps had a thump to them that helped me anchor my thoughts. "So, Salem''s visions are like a double edged sword, in a sense? They can either offer genuine, true insight into one''s future or lead her astray with false prophecies?"


    K nodded, her expression deathly serious. "Exactly. It''s a tricky business, dealing with the supernatural. Salem has her gift, but like any power, ites with its own set of challenges, questionable details and uncertainties. The key is learning to find the right way between truth and illusion."


    As I pondered this newfound information, a fresh wave of curiosity washed over me. "And what about the objects or words she might mention in a true vision? You mentioned there are details you can use to tell if the vision is a void, so what makes the vision real?"


    "Ah, that''s where the real skilles in," K giggled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Each witch has their own method. Salem, for instance, associates specific objects or words with certain oues. It''s like decoding a cryptic message. The challenge lies in tranting the symbols correctly, and that, my friend, requires both intuition and experience." She paused, letting the information sink in. "In Salem''s case, she often mentions significant objects or key phrases that have personal meanings to her. It''s like her subconscious mindmunicates through these symbols, and her challenge is to decipher their true significance. The only issue is that at times, she isn''t too keen to mention the details when she reveals her visions."


    It dawned on me that the supernatural world held depths I had yet to fathom. Salem''s visions were not just glimpses into an uncertain future; they were puzzles that required a keen mind to unravel. "Have you ever encountered a true vision that came to pass?" I asked, genuinely intrigued by K''s experiences with Salem''s visions from the time those two used to be close.


    A slight smile yed on K''s lips. "Yes, a few times. Salem''s visions have guided the Coven through some challenging moments. But it''s a delicate bnce. We can''t solely rely on her gift, as the risk of misinterpretation is always there. Trust is crucial, both in the seer and in our ability to navigate the unknown. I can''t say that I''ve seen more than the Coven, but let''s say there were times I was happy and eager to learn more about her gift. Truth to be told, I knew about Zion before we met.." She whispered thest words, her cheeks turning bright red and eyes focusing on the carpeted floor.


    As K spoke, I couldn''t help but wonder why this was the first time I heard about these details. The trust seemed to be very important for everyone, but witches, well, they took the importance to another level, once hard to phantom. Just as I parted my lips to ask another question, Zion entered the room again. His eyes met mine, concern etched on his face. K shot him a knowing look, nearly stopping him in his tracks. Zion furrowed his eyebrows and tore his gaze away from her to focus on me. "You two seem to be deep in conversation."


    "We are," K chimed in. "And now, it''s your turn to share your insights. What''s bothering our Luna here?"


    I sighed, the weight on my shoulders momentarily lifting. "Salem mentioned a vision, a future that seems mysteriously uncertain. But K here has shed some light on the nature of her gift. There''s a chance that it might be a void, a misleading prediction born out of stress and pain."


    Zion''s brow furrowed in concern. "A vision? What did the fucking witch im she saw?"


    I hesitated, wondering if I wanted to speak the words out loud. A part of me feared they would be true once I said them aloud. And yet, seeing the concern K and Zion showed me, I sighed and came clean with them. "She spoke of dark times, of a looming threat that could tear everything apart. That could cost my life. But with what K shared, I''m beginning to wonder if it''s just a manifestation of her own fears and anxieties."


    Zion''s gaze softened, and he stepped closer to reach out and ce aforting hand on my shoulder. "We''ll figure this out together, Aife. Whether it''s a true vision or a void, we''ll face it together, hand in hand. And if it''s in our power to change the course of fate, we will do everything in our power to change it. Especially if we must save your life. That, we definitely will do. Especially Bane."


    K grinned, grabbing and raising her mug in a toast. "We don''t have anything stronger so tea will do. Let''s make a toast to navigating the twists and turns together, ensuring our beloved Luna''s safety and always staying together. Friends for life?"


    Laughing, Zion and I grabbed our mugs and clinked them together, trying to rid ourselves of the tense feeling and the bitter aftertaste of this conversation.


    I still couldn''t shake off the feeling that Salem''s words might have been right, but I did my best to ignore that. If her vision came true, I was sure that with Bane, Zion and K by my side, we coulde up with a way to make it all better. The only problem was that I wasn''t sure if it could be possible. I couldn''t just tell my friends that Salem was advising me to leave because Bane was the one who was supposed to hurt me.. He loved me.. He would never.

 173: Not scared.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The king''s words lingered in the air, a bizarre mix of mockery and genuine surprise. I couldn''t quite understand why he found my situation amusing. It was as if he rejoiced in the idea that I, Alpha Bane, the fearless leader, was fighting with matters of the heart.. "Love is a powerful force, my friend," he continued, finally tearing his gaze away from the wall to meet my eyes. "It turns even the mightiest warriors into bumbling fools. But it seems you''re not just in love.. You''re also terrified of losing her." I scowled, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "Terrified? I''m not terrified. I''m just... concerned. Yes, concerned, that''s exactly what I am. Aife deserves the best, and I''ve let her down. Mind you, more than just once."


    He leaned back, studying me with nothing but seriousness. "You''re not just concerned. You''re scared fucking shitless. Scared of losing her to a fate you can''t control. Scared that someone else might be what she needs. Terrified that someone else could be the very thing she desires. Anyone but you."


    I gritted my teeth, unwilling to admit the truth in his words. "I''m not scared of anything."


    He chuckled, the sound echoing against the walls of the room. "Bane, denial doesn''t suit you. Neither does green. You may be an Alpha to the outside world, but deep down, you''re just a man. A man in love, and a man who''s afraid of not being enough.


    My fists clenched involuntarily. The king had a way of prying into the depths of one''s thoughts, exposing vulnerabilities that were better left hidden from the outside world. But perhaps, in his own twisted way, he was trying to offer some support and understanding.


    "What''s your point?" I growled, my impatience and anger getting the better of me.


    He sighed, amusement instantly fading from his expression. "My point is, you have seven days to make things right. Seven days to show Aife that you care, that you''re not the oblivious fool you''ve portrayed yourself to be. If her birthday is truly a significant event, then make it memorable. Prove to her that you can be the man she needs."


    I opened my mouth, about to snap back at him, but he just grinned and raised his hand. "That is, if you can prove to me that you have healed enough to leave this ce. Remember that I''m watching you."


    Seven days. Time was slipping through my fingers, and the asshole still found a way to mock me. I battled a sense of urgency, yet he justughed to my face and relished in my misery.


    The king''s eyes bore into mine, a silent challenge that I couldn''t ignore. "You can''t stay trapped in this pce forever, it''s not what I expect of you. However, I want you to take your health seriously and more importantly," he continued, his tone more serious than ever. "I want you to realize that you have to take him seriously. He isn''t one to joke around, you know that. Just because you have chosen to ignore his presence over the years doesn''t mean he''s harmless. He isn''t."


    A strange mixture of determination and stress settled within me, setting my insides aze. The prospect of escaping this ce, returning to Aife, and making amends fueled a newfound sense of purpose. The king may be a major asshole oftentimes, but in this instance, his words made more sense than I was willing to admit aloud.


    I nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "You''re right. I wish I could keep denying it, but you''re absolutely right. I need to heal, deal with the asshole and then, I will return home. I want to make her birthday unforgettable." He smirked, a hint of approval in his gaze. "That''s the spirit, oh all-mightly Alpha. Now, let''s discuss if you have any ideas of how you could take full control over the anger gremlin that lives inside you. And I''m not talking about your wolf." For some reason, Iughed. His words seemed innocent and funny, but deep down, both of us knew how serious this situation actually was. Lately, I had been losing control, especially while I was out, so the prospect of Aife, getting hurt while I was asleep, truly terrified me.


    The king had many great ideas and suggestions, but none seemed like a long-term answer to my problems.


    For now, I was trying to win some time. For now, I knew Zion would take care of her and ensure Aife was safe, but I couldn''t tell for how long that would work.


    For as long as I wasn''t in my territory, the pack was an easy target. And honestly, if shit went as Killian wanted it to go, I was sure that asshat had already spread the news about my absence. He wasn''t the only enemy I had, and definitely not the strongest of them all.


    The king and I hatched a n. It was risky and rather daring, but for the time being, it could work as a good way to force down the fucker that was trying to make my life more miserable than it should have been. In time, we could try to seek out healers and possibly find a way to break the curse in another way, not the one that had been described in those old books.


    As we finalized the details, I couldn''t shake the feeling that this journey wasn''t just about ridding myself of someone I viewed as nothing but a leech. It was an attempt to turn a new page in my life. By doing this, I would be trying to prove to Aife that I truly had feelings for her.


    "Okay, if, and only if, you manage to hold him down tonight while you sleep, I''ll give you the green light to leave. How does that sound?" The king offered.


    I instantly perked up, ready to leave right this instant. "I''m sure I can prove my ability to hold him down. Put a little bit of trust in me." I grinned.


    He looked away and let out a heavy sigh. "Still can''t believe this. Of all the people, Bane, of all the fucking people, he''s the fucker who''s in love. Mad, mad world we live in," he whispered under his breath.


    I pretended I didn''t hear his words. Instead, I grinned like a lunatic and started counting seconds, wishing they would pass faster and I could get back to her sooner. Hold on, baby, I''ming home.

 174: Stay away.

    pov**


    **Aife The next day, soon after I woke up, I got hit with a feeling so uneasy, so gloomy and ominous, I couldn''t shake it off even if I tried.


    Sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast with K and Zion felt like an out of body experience. I was present and not at all at the same time. "Aife? Hello? Earth calls out to Aife, where are you?" K screamed as she waved her hand in front of my face, making me jump in my seat.


    Wide eyed, with my jaw hanging, I stared at her, unable to utter a word. K didn''t look like herself. In fact, she didn''t even look alive. As I kept opening and closing my eyes, I still couldn''t get back the image of how she was supposed to look. In front of me stood a woman I didn''t know. Her high-pitched voice screeched in my ears, nearly deafening me. All of my senses went into overdrive as I jumped out of my seat and started backing away.


    I saw the mouth moving, but didn''t hear a sound leave it. My heart hammered in my chest with such might that I could feel every motion in my throat, as if the organ was climbing up, desperate to escape.


    K looked like a real life zombie. Her skin was melting off her bones in massive chunks, all of her wild hair was gone and the crazed look in her eyes genuinely terrified me.


    "Stay away," I managed to mutter, hating myself for how weak my voice sounded. No matter how hard I tried to say more, I couldn''t force even one word out of me.


    Was this a nightmare? Was I still asleep, trapped within the dream, unable to wake up and escape this unfortunate setting? If so, why did this feel so damn real?


    Even though the woman before me looked nothing like my friend, somehow, I noticed that she had started moving towards me. That was when my heart truly got stuck in my throat. Everything happened too fast. I turned on my heel and tried to run, but something, possibly a wall, stopped me and I fell back. My head hit the tiled floor with a loud, deafening thud and the next moment, darkness enveloped me in its cold embrace.


    ***


    I woke up in a warm bed, surrounded by what felt like clouds. Something kept me warm - the source was hard against my body but so darn warm that I felt like I was burning up.


    Giving into the instincts, I didn''t bother to open my eyes and kicked the source of warmth away from me. Only when this source let out a grunt of pain, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor did I open my eyes and sit up in bed.


    I scanned the room for the source of sound, but didn''t see anything. Still half-asleep and very confused, I frowned.


    The only thing I really knew was that I was back in the bedroom. For some inexplicable reason, the room was so overpowered with Bane''s scent, I was sure I had to really be asleep. Tears burned in my eyes and the next moment, I started full- on crying like a child. I really missed him.


    Just when I thought things couldn''t get more confusing, I was pulled into a tight hug, trapped in strong arms, my face buried in someone''s chest. I tried to push the person away, growing more panicked with every second until.. Until I heard him speak.


    "Shh, baby, calm down. You''re safe, I promise you''re safe. Calm down, please, don''t cry my pretty girl, please don''t cry," he muttered and I couldn''t help it - I started crying even harder, grabbing him, trying my hardest to pull him so close, we could merge into one.


    "Breathe, baby, you need to breathe. Take deep, slow breaths and calm down. I''m here, I''m not leaving you alone anymore. I''m not leaving you," he kept reassuring me as hisrge hand drew soothing circles on my back. Bane.. He was home. Finally, he was back home and for once, I felt like my heart was at peace. Perhaps his sudden arrival was what created the feeling in me earlier, but deep down, I knew it had to be connected with everything I found out yesterday.


    Although Salem imed Bane would return today and she was bloody right, I chose to bury the memory of her vision and focus on what mattered. He was back home, right where he had to be. "You''re home," I breathed out, still sobbing.


    A low chuckle left him as Bane''s hold around me tightened. Enough to keep me trapped, yet not enough to hurt me. "I missed you," he whispered and pressed his lips to the top of my head.


    All I could do was nod my head, still trapped in a sense of disbelief that he had returned. I had wished, probably in my wildest dreams, to have him back and it finally happened. How could I voice just how happy I was to have him back? Just as I tried to say something, Baneughed. "Truth to be told, thest thing I expected was to get kicked out of the bed by my Luna. And I mean literally kicked out. But I''m notining. You''re a silly one, my love," he mused. I had never been so thankful for the ability to avoid one''s gaze. My cheeks instantly burned bright red, so much so that even the tips of my ears felt like they were set aze.


    "But," he dragged. "I''m sort of happy I got kicked out of here. It''s on me that I surprised you unprepared and whatever happened in the kitchen has to have yed an important role with this situation too. Anyway, this just goes to show that you don''t appreciate it if men just try toy down next to you. My bad. Sorry."


    A part of me couldn''t believe that Bane was taking this situation so lightly. There was no trace of anger or annoyance in his voice, which was something I really appreciated.


    By the time I finally mustered up the courage to meet his eyes, I had managed to calm down a little and there weren''t any tears streaming down my face anymore.


    My hand trembled as I brought it to his cheek, more or less to prove to myself that he truly was here. The moment I cupped Bane''s cheek, he melted in my touch, sessfully melting my heart in the process. He was here. This wasn''t a dream. "Promise you won''t leave me ever again. You''re here to stay," I whispered the plea, desperate to hear the words I needed more than my next breath.


    Bane ced his hand over mine and turned his head to nt a kiss on my palm and whisper, "I''m here to stay."

 175: Don’t scream.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I had missed Bane. Really. Like a crazy bad type of missed, but.. But there was something off. I wasn''t sure if those were Salem''s words that kept me back from gluing myself to Bane''s hip or fear of him, leaving me again, but there was something.


    Everyone in the main building had vowed to leave me be. Or to be precise - Bane forced them all to stay away from me, including K and Zion.


    Worst of all, he was about to join their official ceremony which would make those two a true fated couple in front of the whole pack and I was supposed to spend the time alone, locked in the bedroom.


    Not that I med anyone, but I wasn''t too stoked about the fact that K told Bane everything that had happened in the kitchen. She didn''t know all the details, so Bane got only her side of the story and unfortunately for me, I wasn''t sure what really happened back there, so I couldn''t exin myself.


    Kind of sucked to know that he deemed me to be a danger to myself, honestly. Oh, well, not that I could do anything to change the darn situation.


    The cheers that reached my ears from the backyard made me feel even worse. I too wanted to be there and support my friends in their most special moment. But no, instead, I sat in the room, locked behind a door, sulking like a misbehaving child.


    "I wish I would have my wolf already. At least then, I wouldn''t have to worry about losing my mind over loneliness. I''m so tired of being lonely all the time," I muttered under my breath and I turned on my other side to face the wall.


    As soon as I did, I screamed at the top of my lungs and literally jumped so high, I fell out of the bed. Before I could register what was happening, she kneeled next to me and forced a hand over my mouth.


    How this was possible was beyond me. It was Salem. But how? Seriously.. Zion had taken her arms and burned them. K imed Salem couldn''t grow them back like a lizard so this had to be one of those hyper-realistic nightmares I hadtely.


    "Shh, Luna, I promise not to harm you if you don''t scream again," she muttered and grinned. I was about to nod my head, but was held back by the wide grin that kept spreading across her lips. At one point, the corners of her mouth reached her ears, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, dirty teeth. "That is, unless you want me to sew your mouth shut." She added.


    My hand shook as I brought it up to my face and grabbed hers to pull it away from my lips. "I promise to remain silent for as long as you don''t possess any threat to me," I whispered, fighting myself to keep an eye contact to show her just how serious I was.


    Clearly pleased with my answer, she nodded and got back to her feet. "I didn''t mean to startle you, but this was the only moment I could catch you alone now that your Alpha has returned home," she exined, giving me a knowing look. I frowned but followed her example and got back to my feet. "My Alpha is home, yes. However, I have no idea why his presence ys any importance, so if you could exin what you meant by that, I would really appreciate that." Seeing how there was no escape or a way to get away from this woman, I huffed and sat down. I couldn''t look away from her. I wanted to, but every time I tried, my eyes found her all over again. This truly had to be a bad dream.


    "Let''s say we really don''t appreciate Alphas, especially the cursed ones," she chuckled and walked to the window to peek outside.


    "We?" I repeated the word out of curiosity. Okay, honestly, I had more questions but I didn''t want to appear disrespectful and just attack her with those. And besides, she was the only person in here, so I couldn''t just magically figure out who was this ''we'' she mentioned.


    "Yes, we. Me and my twin sister. You know, the woman whose arms you took. Salem." She muttered, still looking outside.


    My heart started beating in my chest so hard, I feared it might climb up my throat and escape my body. The next moment, cold shivers ran down my spine, paralyzing me on the spot. Had she arrived to seek revenge for what happened to her sister? Did she have any idea that Salem deserved what happened to her?


    Noticing my fear, she spun on her heel andughed. "Not to worry, Luna. I didn''te here to hurt you or avenge my baby sister. I say baby but she is only five minutes younger than me. Still counts, doesn''t it? Anyway, she''s been pushing her visions through for me, which has to mean that little brat cares for you, so I came here to check for myself."


    Looking at her in pure shock, I couldn''t believe what I was hearing. "So you didn''te here to help her? You won''t get her out of the cells?" My words sounded weird, as if someone else was speaking through me, but I had to dismiss that. "Nope," she announced and clicked her tongue. "I''m here to snoop around, that''s all, really. But honestly, if you want my opinion on this matter, I must point out that the gore she showed me in those visions, yeah, I wouldn''t wish it upon my worst enemies. And babe, I have many of those." Sheughed.


    Raising an eyebrow, I sucked in a deep breath. "So you snuck into the territory, broke into the house and all you want is to look around? How does that make any sense?"


    "It doesn''t," she shrugged.


    Although this woman looked carefree, at one moment, I noticed there was a weird tension about her. As if she needed something but she was too scared to say the words. Or maybe she feared the consequences those words could bring. "It really doesn''t," I parroted her words, adding more emphasis to encourage her to speak some more.


    "Listen, all I''m saying is that you need to get the fuck out of here. Like fast. As fast as your legs can carry you. If you want to live, of course." She repeated basically the same thing Salem had told me and offered a pitiful smile. Growing irritated, I jumped to my feet and raised my hands, "what is wrong with you, witches? Now two of them, twins for the fuck''s sake, im that I''m supposed to leave the man I love just to survive. I can''t just up and go. I don''t have anywhere to go, geez. And besides, why would I? All I''ve heard is you must do this or that and no exnations. Everyone around me is acting like children, keeping secrets, whispering among themselves and pretending that I can''t freaking see them doing those things!"


    I knew I was raising my voice, but it didn''t matter anymore. Was the answer really too much to ask for? I didn''t mind having impulsive guests who loved to appear out of nowhere, but if they brought warnings, I would prefer it if they gave me reasons for them.


    The witch grinned at me and shook her head. "A strong one. Good. In a way. Not amazing, though. While strength is good, it isn''t nearly enough to save you at this point, especially from him. All I''m saying is stay safe and always watch your back. Especially if you decide to leave this ce."

 176: The mating ceremony.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I was so stupidly giddy, I felt like a child, finally getting the thing I had asked for ever since I could remember myself.


    Zion stood next to me, waiting for his mate to appear in the garden and approach him. As soon as she rounded the corner of the house and started walking towards him, Zion sucked in a sharp breath and held it.


    Once she got closer, he breathed out and leaned a little closer to whisper, "do you see her? Do you see how beautiful she is? Can you notice the perfection hidden in those eyes? Man, the Goddess really decided to bless me, didn''t she?" I felt like a shitty friend. While I was happy about Zion and his mate, I couldn''t get rid of the nagging feeling in my gut. He was getting his happily ever after while mine was still unclear. I loved Aife, I would literally fall on my knees before any God to let me keep her, to let me have her as mine forever, but our future was nothing but a massive question mark.


    As Zion''s mate got closer to us, I couldn''t stop wondering about how I would feel if it were me and Aife who would join in the mating ceremony today. I was jealous, in the best possible way because I loved my best friend, but still jealous. Zion''s mate, K, stopped in front of us and bowed to me. She had used the little time she spent in the main building to read some of our books and learn our customs - something I truly appreciated.


    To everyone''s horror, I returned the favor and bowed to her. While my pack couldn''t grasp what was happening, this was my gift to Zion. By doing this one, simple thing, I epted K as the Beta female of this pack and soon, the rest of the pack would embrace her as one of our own too.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see Zion tearing up. The next moment, he pulled me into a bone crushing hug that made me hiss in pain and instantly released me. "Sorry, dude, didn''t mean to. Just wanted to say thank you."


    "All good," I grinned and returned my attention to his mate. "K, are you here of your own free will?" I asked, seeking the green light to start the ceremony.


    The sooner we could get over and done with this, the sooner I could sneak away and focus on what was important - holding Aife. We had some making up to do.


    "Yes, I have arrived of my own free will, Alpha," she replied, nothing but pridecing in her words.


    Zion kept swooning like a teenage boy, experiencing love for the first time in his life, so there was no use asking the same to him. I admit I felt like a proud father watching these two. And the fact that my best friend''s mate referred to me as the Alpha was even better - she would fit in perfectly.


    Clearing my throat, I focused on the pack members, "I invite you to surround the fated lovers and embrace them as one from now on. Please, gather around and let''s start the ceremony."


    The entire pack, everyone but my Luna, gathered around us and held each other''s hands. It was a bittersweet moment, knowing Aife couldn''t watch these two connect and promise each other to love and cherish till the end of their days, but I couldn''t change that now.


    Something was terribly wrong with her. While I thought it had to be the consequences ofck of sleep, stress and worries, I still had a suspicion that there was more than she was showing me.


    As much as I would love to have her next to me, joining in on this celebration of love, I also knew it was better to insist she would rest. Besides, I had some cameras set all over the ce so she wouldn''t miss a moment of this ceremony. "We have gathered here to witness the mating ceremony of Beta Zion and his fated mate K. Both have arrived of their free will, ready to connect before the pack and the eyes of the Goddess that has brought these souls together," I started my speech, feeling like I was talking about my son.


    In a way, I might have. Not that we were that far apart age wise, but I had always been more like a brother or father figure for my best friend, so I let myself enjoy this moment of delusion. It wasn''t hurting anyone.


    "We stand here to witness the purest forms of love and connection. The Moon Goddess has blessed the souls and brought them together, so tonight, we celebrate." I spoke over the whispers surrounding us, earning hollering and cheers from the pack members.


    Once my gaze met Zions, he smiled and nodded his head, encouraging me to move forward. Gripping the handle of the knife, I took a deep breath and reached out my hand for K. Her hand shook, but she didn''t hesitate to ce it in mine, palm up.


    "This won''t be as bad as you think, maybe a slight pinch. Look away if the view of blood disturbs you, okay?" I whispered, hoping she and Zion would be the only ones to hear me.


    K nodded and held her breath, her eyes focused on her palm as I ran the knife over it, cutting the flesh and leaving a long wound behind.


    Zion didn''t hesitate - he was so excited, he grabbed the knife from me, cut his own palm and grabbed K''s hand, connecting the wounds. "Blood bond," he announced, loudly and proudly.


    A chuckle left me as I shook my head at his actions while the rest of the pack cheered and called out encouraging words for their newfound Beta female.


    Seeing that I didn''t have much say in how the ceremony was going, I shrugged and shouted over everyone, "you may kiss the mate!"


    To my surprise, both of them had a go at each other. They kissed like their lives depended on it, and fuck, did I want to be back in the bedroom and have a chance to kiss Aife with just as much passion as these two were showing off. No matter how much I tried to focus on the ceremony, I really couldn''t. It wasn''t only that my mind was pulling me back to thoughts about the breathtaking woman resting in my bedroom. That was the pleasant part. The not so pleasant part was the voice in the back of my head. The better I got, the more strength I regained, the more powerful and louder he grew. However, these days, it seemed that he was interested in only one thing - murder. *"Kill her." *


    *"Torture her." *


    *"Show her true hell." *


    *"Let me see the pain, let me taste the blood." *


    Those were just a few of his favorite things to repeat on the loop. No matter how much I tried to fight him, it felt as if every time I pushed him away, he pushed back twice as hard.


    Maybe, just maybe, I was too weak. Perhaps I didn''t know how to deal with a part of myself after all, or maybe, I was too tired to take his shit again. One day, I was sure I would find the answers. One day that wasn''t today. I just needed a little time. A few hours maybe, or a full day.. Just a little more time with her still by my side.


    Aife was the one who was keeping me alive. If worse came to happen, I wanted to feel alive for a little more. As soon as I would notice any danger to her life and well-being, I would cut it all. No matter how bad it would break me, I was ready to give up on everything I had. She was worth it.

 177: Guilty as charged.

    **Bane


    pov**


    "And where do you think you are heading, Mister?" Zion''s voice boomed through the crowd right as I was trying to slip away from the action.


    "Damn it," I hissed under my breath and spun on my heel to face him. A smirk spread across my lips as I forced my hands into the pockets of my pants and tried to appear as unbothered as I could. "I was trying to sneak away to the kitchen to get some water. There''s only booze and mixers here, I don''t feel like drinking anything like that."


    Zion raised a skeptical eyebrow. Shit, I really should start working on my ability to lie better. Surely, as my best friend, he could smell my bullshit from miles away.


    "Right," he dragged the word, slightly slurring as he did. Zion and K had been doing some wild shots for the past three hours while in the meantime, I had tried to escape this party for like twenty times and every time I was caught. Like he had a tracker or my ass or something. "Come, let''s do some shots before you dip and sneak back to Aife."


    How was I supposed to tell my best friend that I wouldn''t drink for his happiness on the biggest day of his life? That thought kind of haunted me..


    But then again, now that he knew how it felt to love - obsessively so - he had to understand why I needed to get away from there.


    Shaking my head, I chuckled. "Can''t do, buddy. I don''t want to get wasted and just like you have a beautiful woman here waiting for your attention, mine''s waiting for me in the bedroom. I think I spent a good amount of time here already." Zion scoffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "As if," he spat the words as if they were venom. "A good amount of time my ass, Bane. You''ve been doing nothing but trying to sneak away from here."


    Yeah, well, my bad. I had been caught. But, he couldn''t just me me. This was unfair.


    "Guilty as charged. Not that you can me me because I can bet my arm that you would do the same thing if our roles were reversed," I wiggled my eyebrows to add some ease to the tense situation.


    Zion''s face remained rock solid until a momentter, cracks started appearing and soon enough, he grinned at me like a true madman. "Bet your ass I would," he agreed and stalked closer. In no time, he stood in front of me and pulled me into a tight hug. "Thank you."


    "For what?" I asked, caughtpletely off guard.


    "For being the best friend ever. For acting like my dad, oldest brother and sometimes even mom. For always supporting me, for making this all happen. For freaking leading the ceremony - I mean, how cool is that? The Alpha himself led the mating ceremony for me. But also, most importantly, for epting her and being so open to getting to know my mate. It means the word to me." Zion spoke from his heart.


    I prided myself as a man with little to no emotions, but his words almost made me tear up.


    "That''s what friends are for," I offered a generic answer, unwilling to take a deep dive into this conversation.


    As much as I enjoyed Zion''s presence and this conversation, I still wanted to leave.


    By the time he finally released me, my bones were aching. Not that I let him know how much pain I truly was in - this wasn''t my moment, it was his, so I didn''t want to pull gray clouds over his happiness.


    "Go on, run to your woman," he chuckled and quickly left before I coulde up with a goodeback.


    I scanned the party for thest time, smiled at the pure joy on everyone''s faces, spun around and headed inside the building.


    As soon as I did, an odd feeling assaulted me. The unnatural silence might have been the reason for the uneasy feeling, but the voice at the back of my mind kept telling me it wasn''t the silence that bothered me. It was a presence. Cold, slimy and dark.


    Like a light switch, panic red up in me, forcing my legs to move before I could register it. By the time I came back to my senses, I was running up the stairs, creating distance between myself and the feeling that remained behind. The closer I got to the bedroom, the more at ease I was. Maybe I was growing too paranoid? Losing my mind, perhaps?


    *"Not losing anything, something was watching. Bet you will feel the same if you go back downstairs again. It''s still there, not moving, just watching."*


    A part of me wanted to listen, turn around and check the area. The other part, however, refused to return downstairs before I checked on Aife. If she was safe, I could take a look at whatever was there.


    Again, maybe I was paranoid so bringing up this issue would do nothing but stir up trouble. Also, it would definitely ruin the mood of those who were partying outside. No way was I ruining Zion''s and K''s mating ceremony party. When I stood in front of the door, I started panicking. My dumbass forgot that I locked Aife in to ensure no one could enter the bedroom and bother her while she slept.


    Unlocking the door was a nightmare as my stupid hand had a mind of its own and it refused to stop shaking. Shit, all this stress, it seriously couldn''t be good for anyone. What kind of sorcery was this?


    "Bane? Is that you?" I heard Aife''s sleepy voice call out from the bedroom.


    Just hearing her speak suddenly eased my mind. Not only that. The same moment, I also felt as if a massive weight finally fell off my shoulders and I could finally breathe.


    "Yeah, it''s me, love. Sleep, don''t worry about the sound, I can''t aim the key in the darn hole," I muttered, getting angrier at myself as I still kept struggling.


    I heard herugh and approach the door. Aife was quick to unlock the door and open it to me. A look of pure amusement on her face, coupled with that sly grin took my breath away. Just to make it better, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned against the doorframe to mutter, "that''s what he said."


    Okay, I was seriously taken aback but that sassy remark made me feel things. Exciting things. Things that reminded me of how fucking ufortable and painful the pressure against the zipper can be at times.


    "Goddess, babe, you''re tempting me so bad," I groaned as I stepped inside the bedroom, forcing Aife to step away from the door.


    The bravado had left her for good, eyes widening as the realization hit her. "I-" she tried toe up with something, but quickly gave up seeing how she had nothing to offer. Aife blew out a deep breath and closed her eyes, "how about we get some sleep?"


    I chuckled and leaned in to press my lips to her nose. "Sure thing. We can deal with your attitude tomorrow morning. I doubt that giving into the impulses and desires tonight could be a good idea, but tomorrow morning, babe, I''ll definitely be ready to rock your word."


    She rolled her eyes at my remark and climbed into the bed while I closed the door and locked it, making a mental note that I had to check the main floor of the building at one point. To avoid creating tension, I decided to wait until she would fall asleep. After that, I could check the ce, if only to get rid of the stupid thoughts.

 178: First things first.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Last night, when Bane came back to the bedroom, acting all weird and sketchy, I tried to shake his behavior off as just one of those moments. Everyone had their moments, right?


    However, when he promised to ''rock my world'' I didn''t take him seriously. I assumed his statement was one of those times when he decided to mess around with me.


    Waking up.. I realized he was bloody serious. I woke up from a pleasant feeling, a tension building up in my lower belly. Blinking awake, I nced to my right, thinking I would find Baneying next to me, but the ce was empty. At first, a sense of panic filled me, but then again, a surge of pleasure spread throughout my body. My hands instinctively reached out and gripped the sheets as a low moan left my lips.


    What the hell? Or should I ask what the Bane?


    Once I came back to my senses, I grabbed the nket and lifted it only to meet the zing eyes of my Alpha as his tongue ran over my clit. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he didn''t stop.


    With my eyes wide, I gasped. "What are you doing?"


    "Let me be the one who gives you what you want," Bane muttered and forced his mouth on me fully. I couldn''t hold back the moan even if I wanted to.


    His hand slid from my thigh, up my belly and stopped on my right breast. Bane grabbed the nightgown I was wearing and pulled it down, exposing my breast and instantly captured my nipple between his thumb and pointer finger, twisting it a little. Oddly enough, with the slight sting of pain came pleasure.


    Another moan left my lips as I released the sheet and slid my hand into his hair, tugging on it a little.


    The growl that left Bane intensified that surge of pleasure that assaulted me. The vibration made everything feel so much better, damn it.


    All it took were a couple of strokes of his tongue and I was melting in his embrace. The feeling in my lower belly kept building up until I felt like I was about to explode. My thighs literally locked Bane''s head in ce, ensuring he wouldn''t leave me hanging.


    He didn''t. In no time, I came on his lips. And I climaxed hard.


    Honestly, I was a little upset I couldn''t warn him, but Bane didn''t show any distaste of what had happened. In fact, he happilypped up my juices and even licked his lips.


    Bane had that predatory look in his eyes and he slowly moved up until he was fully on top of me. Taking me by a surprise, he forced his lips on mine and thrust his tongue inside my mouth without missing a beat.


    The thought behind being kissed by a man who had just ravished my pussy sounded so wrong, but hell, was it extremely hot to taste myself on his tongue..


    By the time Bane broke the kiss, both of us were panting for breaths. He pressed his forehead against mine and smiled. "I want you to tease me, pretty girl. I want you to tell me what it is that you want." His words were barely a whisper, yet to me, they sounded louder than a scream.


    "First things first," I muttered and cupped his cheek. "You''ll have to guide me. I can''t im I''m like a pro at this thing, you know. The teasing part - what am I supposed to do to tease you?"


    I couldn''t believe I actually asked him that. I had never been this open with anyone before, let alone a man. No, let alone discussing intimate matters.


    And yet, as soon as that bright smile spread across his lips, I couldn''t help but feel like for once, I was doing something right. If following his lead and doing what he wanted was what would make Bane happy - who was I to tell no to him? Besides, new experiences had to be fun.


    "How about you dance for me? Not that you have much to take off, but I''d love to watch you strip for me. Slowly. Make me sweat for it, pretty girl." Bane suggested, leaning in and pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth. Where did I get all this confidence? As I all but jumped out of the bed and stood in the middle of the bedroom, I wondered if it was Bane''s effect on me.


    Pondering the thought would ruin the moment, so I decided to push it to the back of my mind and focus on enjoying this. Slowly, I brought my hands to my breasts and lightly squeezed them, earling a low growl of approval. Then, counting in my head for a rhythm, I slowly moved my hips and slid my hands down my body just to slide them up to my neck the next moment. To let myself rx a little more, I closed my eyes and then, brought my finger to my lips to bite it, which again, earned another growl from Bane.


    Giving into the moment, I turned my back to him and ced my hands on my hips, grabbing the fabric of the nightgown and slowly pulling it up while my hips still swayed to a soft rhythm in my mind. I wasn''t paying too much attention to what I was doing so when Bane stood next to me and lifted me to toss me on the bed, I was truly caught off guard.


    "Enough teasing," he growled, stalking towards the bed like a true predator. To make the matters even more intense, he was already naked, on full disy.


    My eyes traveled down his body until they focused on his pulsating erection. While it looked like that had to hurt, another kind of thought assaulted my mind. How?


    As my eyes kept widening, Bane seemed to find great pleasure in the expression on my face. That proved to be right as he chuckled and slowly climbed on the bed, "see anything you like, or, I don''t know, maybe want?" He teased me. My cheeks started burning so bad, the burn traveled up my ears and even on my neck. Come to think of it, I was pretty sure my whole body had turned lobster red. What made it even worse was the moment Bane grabbed my nightgown and tore it in pieces, whispering an amused, "I''ll buy you a new one."


    Yeah, as if this reassurance might help me. Ha. Not in the slightest - ever. Especially if the only thing I could focus on was his erection, which to be honest, reminded me of a very ugly snake that was about to explode in pieces any moment now. "Again, I must ask, are you seeing anything you want?" Bane kept teasing me.


    Maybe this was funny for him. Maybe it was funny for me too, but I couldn''t hold back the gasp of utter terror as I finally managed to pry my eyes away from his erection and look into Bane''s eyes to exim, "how is that going to fit inside me?"

 179: Been there.

    **Aife pov**


    A deep, dark chuckle left him. "Haven''t we been there before, baby?"


    The question kind of made sense because this truly wasn''t the first time we were getting intimate, but it didn''t mean that his words eased my mind.


    I couldn''t remember if I had noticed how big Bane was in that department. Not that I had anything topare the size to, but still, it seemed a little too big to fit.


    And besides, even as I thought back to the first time we shared the bed, I don''t think I bothered to pay attention to the thing between his legs. I was upied and my mind didn''t follow everything like that.. Clearing my throat, I looked up to focus on his eyes. My cheeks instantly started burning as if someone set them on fire. "I mean," I dragged, unsure if I was ready to speak my mind about things as intimate as this.


    Another chuckle left him as Bane leaned a little to kiss my cheek. "I love it when you get all shy and blush for me," he whispered, making my situation way worse.


    Gulping, I tried to find the words but once I realized what he was doing, it was toote. Bane wasn''tughing at me - he was trying to distract me so I wouldn''t focus on the logistics of the process.


    "Rx,¡± Bane whispered and pushed his hips forward, guiding his length between my lips and entering me in one swift move. "Shit, you''re so wet," he hissed.


    I waspletely caught off guard. He pushed inside me with such ease, I didn''t feel any pain or difort. In fact, once he was fully inside me, he hit that magical spot that made me seek out anything I could grip and forced a loud moan out of me.


    "Fuck, I love it when you hiss for me," he mused, slowly withdrawing and then, mming back inside me, hitting the sweet spot again.


    "Bane," I screamed his name, tossing my arms around his neck and pulling him closer until our lips met in a passionate kiss.


    Sharing this with him felt magical. In Bane''s embrace, I felt as if he knew my body better than I ever could. Everywhere he touched me, his hands left a trail of burning skin and nted an insane need inside me.


    My chest burned as I wrapped my legs around his waist and moaned against his lips. I didn''t have to tell him anything, Bane acted on his own ord, did everything as he pleased and brought pleasure beyond imagination.


    It took him all but a few thrusts until I was screaming his name, gripping onto him as if my life depended on it and begging for more.


    "Needy little thing," he muttered against my lips, unwrapped my legs and flipped us over, holding onto my hips as I straddled him. "If you want it, you''ll have to work for it, pretty girl. Ride me." Bane winked.


    At first, I pouted at him. I was still relishing in the aftermath of my orgasm and now, he wanted me to do all the work? How unfair was that..


    Baneughed at me and reached behind me to p my ass, "don''t be a brat and ride me. Trust me, you''ll love it."


    Although reluctant, I nodded and took a shaky breath before I slightly lifted myself off him and then, slowly sank back on his length. As soon as I did, my handsnded on his chest and my nails dug into his skin. "Wow," was all I could say as I realized there was more to having sex than what I''ve experienced.


    "Wow, indeed," Bane breathed out and grinned. I loved his smile. I loved it so fucking much. And what I loved even more was the fact that this was the smile only I could see. Mine. "Want to feel something cool?" He suddenly asked.


    I raised an eyebrow, but decided to go with it. Nodding, I raised myself off him a little and sunk back down again, "yes, I want to feel something cool."


    Bane didn''t warn me as his grip on my hips tightened and he held me up and started mming inside me. All I could do was try to remain on top of him as Bane decided to rearrange my guts.


    With each thrust, I felt like I was getting closer to heaven. Bane was intent to fuck my soul out of me. And to ensure my soul would head straight to hell, he had to growl out the dirtiest remarks I''ve ever heard as he did.


    At this point I was screaming so loud, I was sure the entire house knew what we were up to, yet I couldn''t be less bothered. In fact, the thought actually aroused me which surprised me, but I dly went with it.


    In a way, I loved the fact that someone could know that their Alpha was using me and my body however he pleased. Also, I kind of relished in the idea of some of the women who worked here hearing us. How could anyone think of getting Bane, taking him from me, if they knew I could satisfy every need he had?


    Only a little, but I still feared that even after giving him all of me, everything I could offer, I still couldn''t be good enough for him or the one he truly wanted.


    However, as fast as that thought appeared in my mind, it was thrown out as Bane hit that special spot again and sent me over the edge. As my walls clenched around his length, I felt him pulsate right as Bane pulled me down to im my lips. A loud growl left him, which made this moment a thousand times better. "I fucking love you. I fucking love you so much I''m scared," he whispered against my lips.


    Although caught off guard by the admission, I smiled and returned the same energy, "I love you too. So, so much."


    Bane sighed and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me on top of him. He didn''t bother withdrawing from me, still remaining seated deep inside me. Bane didn''t add more words to ruin the moment, just kept kissing my face and running his hands over my back.


    "So sleepy," I muttered and the next moment, Bane pulled a nket over us both and pressed his lips to the top of my head.


    "Sleep, my pretty girl, we can deal with life a littleter. I''m sure no one will miss us too much after the show you just put on," he chuckled.


    "Life is perfect," I muttered, unsure why. Honestly, I had no idea why I had the sudden urge to point that out, but I also didn''t regret putting that out there.


    I knew better than to make statements like that. If anyone, I knew that life could turn from perfect to a nightmare into a split second, but maybe this time, this finally was my happily ever after.

 180: A promise ring.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The day was here. Finally, I could pull my shit together and show Aife how much I cared for her and how important it was to make this day as perfect for her as possible.


    In fact, I wanted the day to be just as perfect as she was, but that was impossible. Nothing and no one could everpare to her. Nothing in the world was perfect.. Except for her. Aife was still asleep, so I used the moment to my advantage and snuck out of the bedroom. As much as I didn''t want to leave her behind, I knew I had to if I wanted my n to work. I held my breath as I closed the bedroom door and listened, just in case I woke her up.


    "Watcha doing?" Zion''s voice startled me so bad, I nearly jumped out of my skin.


    In a matter of a second, I spun around and pped my hand over his big, loud mouth. "One more word, seriously, one word and I''m cutting that damn tongue out. If your stupidityes at the cost of my n, you''re a dead man walking," I whisper-hissed.


    Zion''s eyes widened, despite the amusement I could see in them and he raised his hands in surrender.


    Feeling a little better, I pulled my hand away from his mouth and took a step back, shaking my head in disbelief. This man was an overgrown child.


    Focusing on what mattered, I nodded my head in the direction of the staircase and started walking away, hoping the fool would catch the hint and follow me.


    Thankfully he did. And even more so, the impossible happened - Zion remained calm and didn''t ruin my attempt to sneak away unnoticed.


    When we started heading down the stairs, he spoke up. "So, what''s the n, Boss? Are we buying flowers for her?"


    The corner of my mouth twitched as I nced at him and announced, "flowers should be on their way already. I ordered a truckload of them. In fact, if thepany didn''t exaggerate, the pack members should be setting the flowers in their ces as we speak."


    Zion pped his hands, slowly, like a goddamn viin. "Bravo, dude, you''re growing brain cells. Look at you, you''re doing so damn good," he mocked.


    While I really wanted to p the back of his head and force some sense into this guy, I knew he was all over the ce after finding his mate, so no violence could get him off his high.


    Not that I could me him.


    However, that also meant that there was no fixing Zion unless he really wanted to be fixed by someone. So, I just rolled my eyes at the stupid remark and focused my thoughts on the tasks at hand.


    I didn''t have much time until Aife would wake up, so I had to act fast.


    "How about a gift? Did you get that too?" Zion suddenly asked.


    ncing at him again, I saw the shit-eating grin spread across his lips. Sure, he thought he had caught me unprepared. Well, had to suck to be him because he fucking didn''t.


    I nodded my head, rather excited to tell him about the gift I''ve gotten. "Actually, yes, I have a very special gift for my Luna."


    "Ooooh," Zion gasped. "Do tell more."


    Theck of belief in his words annoyed me, but once again, I gripped the weak strings of my sanity to remain calm. Nothing could ruin this day.


    "I got her a promise ring," I blurted out and quickly raised my hand to stop him from spitting out something outrageous before I had a chance to exin the idea behind this gift. "Before you start your shit, listen. Okay?" I red at Zion, just for a good measure.


    The shithead grinned and nodded. Something about his reaction was telling me that he kept pushing my buttons for a reason. Possibly for amusement, but more believably to ensure I had the right intentions in mind.


    "I know those rings are a thing fit for humans more than it is for us. However, I liked the concept of this one. A while ago, I read an article about a ring that one is allowed to purchase only once in their lifetime, so they have to be like million percent sure about the person they are with. And I so happen to be very fucking sure about her. I''mfortable and secure in our rtionship. This ring won''t serve only as a promise ring, it will also fit as a beautiful gift for a special birthday." In my mind, I could imagine how Aife''s face would light up once she had a chance to open that small box and look at the ring.


    I still had a lot to learn about her, but I knew she wasn''t a woman of many demands or fancy taste. For the most part, Aife preferred simple things in life, so this was something she truly deserved to have. Besides, she was my Luna, the love of my life, and she deserved to be spoiled.


    Soon, I was nning to spoil her rotten. My idea was to ensure she turned into a brat so I could punish her after she acted out.. And on that note, yeah, thest thing I needed was a fucking hard on while I spoke to my best friend. If the luck was on my side, my hard on would disappear or else the pack members could start thinking that I was into guys.


    "I like the idea behind it, pal," Zion announced, throwing an arm around my shoulder and pulling me a little closer to him. "Proves that you actually spent some time to think about the gift. Also, themitment with this one is real." Heughed.


    This time, I could share the moment andugh along with him. He was right, I really wanted tomit to anything for as long as it was with Aife.


    By the time we reached the bottom of the stairs, I felt like we were walking for hours. Just like I assumed, the flowers were being brought inside by the pack members and set in the living room. One thing down, million to go.


    "Hey, mind if I leave for a bit? I want to check on my mate quickly and then, I''m all yours. K would dly help too, if you need more hands on this one," Zion spoke as he stepped aside and already started moving towards the main door. What was the point in asking me something if he clearly didn''t need my approval to leave? Well.. What I meant was that Zion would do anything he wanted, no matter what my opinion was.


    "Sure,e back with your mate, I need all the help I can get here," I called after him right as Zion was closing the door behind him.


    Since he was out of my hair, I could check on the kitchen staff without having to hold the angry overgrown goblin away from the cake.


    As soon as I entered, I was hit with an insane aroma of the foods that were prepared for Aife''s party.


    The ce looked like a bomb had gone off there, but at least the work was being done.


    "Good morning, Alpha," all the women called out simultaneously.


    "Good morning,dies. Don''t mind me, I''m just passing through," I waved and headed in the direction of the back door.


    I wasn''t passing though initially. This was a spur of the moment decision because as soon as I stepped into that kitchen, the voice in my head went off, screaming like a banshee and all of a sudden, I was experiencing a migraine. Stepping out of the building, my knees gave out and I copsed on the ground, grabbing the sides of my head and gritting my teeth, praying to the Gods this wasn''t anything serious and it wouldn''t ruin Aife''s special day.

 181: Games to play and people to hurt.

    **Bane pov**


    Eventually, I came to my senses and managed to push myself off the ground. The headache was still there, pounding my head so hard, I had a feeling my ears were working like a speaker, letting everyone know I was suffering. That might have been the look on my face - the scowl or obvious difort, but as I returned back inside the house, everyone parted their way to let me pass without uttering a single word.


    Zion was nowhere to be seen, probably a little busy back home with K, but his annoying voice was thest thing I sought now. All I wanted was to return back to the bedroom and hold Aife until the pain would fade. At this point, I was growing irritated. With every step I took, I was in more pain than before - my whole body still hurt and the headache added to the mix wasn''t helping me remain sane.


    While I knew it was a bad idea, I really didn''t have any other choice.. Instead of joining everyone in an effort to make Aife''s day magical, I hid away.


    I walked up the stairs, passing Alpha floor and stopping on thest one. Once I found the entrance to the attic, I pulled down thedder and climbed up to hide away from everyone.


    As soon as my feet hit the attic floor, I pulled up thedder and closed the entrance, leaving myself surrounded with nothing but my pain and the darkness.


    Laying on the attic floor, I focused my all to positive thoughts. The pain was about to fade, it wouldn''t torment me for any longer, this had to be the consequences ofck of sleep, nothing more.


    It almost worked until the asshole in my head decided to remind me of his goddamn presence. *"It''s not what you think it is. Stop fooling yourself, Bane, you''re an Alpha, you''re better than that."* He mocked me.


    "I don''t have time for your bullshit right now. Leave me alone," I grumbled and closed my eyes, hoping a quick nap could help me cool down.


    Theugh that echoed in my mind was so damn loud and threatening, it chilled me to my bones. That was all I needed to finally realize that this had to be one of his doings. It had to.


    "What the fuck did you do?" I growled and tried to sit up, but my body didn''t listen to my orders.


    Out of nowhere, my whole body was tingling as if the mes of wildfire were licking on my skin, trapping me pinned to the damn floor.


    *"Oh, nothing, I swear nothing at all. That is, if nothing at all means that I finally gathered enough strength to do what you were supposed to do ages ago. She''s making you weak. She has no ce in my life,"* as he ranted, I knew I had to put my foot down once and for all, so I interrupted him.


    "Your life? Excuse the fuck you, this isn''t your life, buddy. You''re literally a parasite using my body as a vessel to keep on surviving. You might have a voice but it''s easy to silence for as long as I remain silent. You don''t have a body, dreams, aspirations, goals, a pack, a fucking house for Goddess sake. You have nothing. You are nothing. So, stop sshing around in your kiddie pool of delusions, grow a pair, grab it, and admit you are nothing. Now, let me sleep you fuckwit," I hissed.


    Speaking my mind felt so liberating, I actually felt proud for finally doing that. But of course, as it always was with me - nothing was as simple as it seemed to be. Sadly, he found a way to remain one step ahead of me.


    *"You foolish boy. You''re the same as your weakling of a father and grandfather. The great name of our family, the bloodline, it all has been tainted by weaklings like yourself and those that came before you. I''ll be damned if I allow you to act the same as they did. You have no right. No damned right to let a woman stomp over you!"* He growled so loud, the headache instantly increased.


    "Good thing I don''t care about you and your opinion on the matter, right?" I chuckled, fighting myself to remain as indifferent to his threats as I could.


    *"Have I ever asked for your permission for anything, Bane?"* He asked, catching me off guard.


    I had no idea where this conversation was going or what he was nning. I was so used to this moron always talking in riddles that I never took him seriously. Maybe I should have. "Have I ever cared?" Like a true spiteful kid, I retorted with another question, checking how far I could push him.


    *"The headache you''re battling right now is nothing but a side effect, if I may so. The feeling of mes, licking your skin is the next step. The inability to move is yet another one. Do you really think you have any power in this situation? Any at all?" Heughed.


    I hated to admit this, but I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach.. A feeling that could be described as nothing but dread. He was nning something - something so evil and sinister that I couldn''t even imagine what it was.


    All I knew was that something would go down and unless I figured out a way to prevent that from happening, all of us were most likely as good as dead.


    As thest ditch effort, I mind-linked Zion, thankfully getting through to him. I was as fast as I could, quicklyying out what was happening and what he had to do before everything went down.


    While the fucker in my mind thought that he had an upper hand over me, he somehow missed the fact that I was reaching out to my second inmand. That had to be because he was too distracted with ying God in everyone''s story.


    He was so taken by with the chance to boast about himself that he waspletely blind to everything that was happening around him.


    And now, although earlier I really wanted toy down and sleep, I had to fight off the heavy weil of sleep slowly covering me. I was so exhausted, I really needed to close my eyes, but I knew that would do nothing but put my pack in harm''s way. It could put the woman I loved at his mercy, which was something I refused to allow.


    *"Let''s go, we have games to y and people to hurt,"* heughed, coldly. To make matters worse, he managed to use my voice to state his ns out loud rather than scream for only me to hear.


    The same moment, my arms and legs started twitching and spasming against my will. *"Ah, it''s been a good while since Ist took full control of a body, don''t mind me, I''ll get a handle on this very quickly. I''m speaking from experience,"* he chuckled, once again, using my voice not his.


    Although I fought against his control with all my might, the next moment, I was upright, walking towards the attic entrance, opening it and slowly sliding down thedder.


    I screamed, fought, growled, thrashed and even pleaded with him, but it was no use. Finally, he had managed to get what he wanted and the only person who could help me keep them all safe was Zion.


    My own voice was silenced by that in my mind. I was left fighting for a chance for my own survival and that of my pack. On the very goddamn edge, not present, yet present enough to watch everything unfold before my eyes. Goddess, please don''t let him harm anyone.

 182: Guy with a breeding kink.

    **Zion


    pov**


    Bane was so excited about Aife''s birthday, this had to be the first time in our lives that I had seen him both so scared and thrilled at the same time.


    He had gone above and beyond to ensure her day was special, and while I was happy about my best friend, I couldn''t shake off a feeling of being off while standing near him.


    Something about his aura had changed so drastically, I felt like something had crawled under my skin as I walked side by side with him.


    Don''t get me wrong - a lot of people feared Bane and they did for a reason. However, I had never been one of that bunch. I had never feared my best friend, even on the worst of his days.


    Today, however, yeah, he was so off, the warning signals went off even in my head. And that was why I excused myself to run home to my mate and ask a few questions.


    As soon as I stood in front of the door, K opened it, grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me inside the house as if I wasn''t supposed to be here.


    "What the fuck?" I hissed before she pped a hand over my mouth and red at me.


    "Lower your voice, someone''s listening," she whisper-hissed and quickly nodded her head towards the door that led into the basement.


    Reluctant and fucking confused, I followed after my mate down into the basement. As I was about to descend on the stairs, K looked over her shoulder and hissed, "close the door, Zion, you weren''t born in a goddamn train."


    Oh shit, this sassy and angry side of her really excited me. A little too much because the erection wasn''t the mostfortable thing to experience as I ran up and down the stairs, but damn it, I really hoped she would do this to me more. One of these days, she could call me her bitch while we went at it and I would nut like some cum whore for her. Jeez, definitely not the direction I hoped my mind would go, but who was I toin? No one shouldin about their fantasies.


    My hesitation to move faster seemed to anger my mate as K crossed her arms in front of her chest and started tapping her foot against the concrete floor.


    Okay, this waspletely unrted to the situation but did she have any idea how tempting she looked when she was mad? I seriously considered asking her if she would mind a quickie in the basement until she red at me. Well then, I was equally as terrified as I was turned on. It was official, I was madly in love with this woman and wanted nothing but to live under her heel until the end of my days.


    "Soo, I suppose the scowl on your face means there won''t be a creepy quickie in the basement, right?" I dragged the words as my feet finally hit the floor and was met with nothing but an aggressive eye roll. "Focus, mate," K hissed.


    Once again, she managed to make me feel as if I was about to explode with nothing but pure happiness. Nothing mattered for as long as she called me her mate. It was me, Zion the great, the man who tamed the angry kitty. "I''m focusing on everything that is important," I muttered and looked down to imagine she wasn''t ring daggers at me.


    "Your important is very different from mine. Yours is to constantly have sex so you can impregnate me and mine is to ensure the pack is safe now that I have be an official part of it," K exined and started pacing around the basement.


    I shrugged. "Not my fault I think you would look perfect carrying my pups."


    I knew the argument didn''t hold much weight against her words, but I had to put it out there. My mate would look amazing with her belly swollen with our growing children inside her.


    K let out an audible sigh and shook her head. "The Goddess of wolves has been kind to me, she gave me a guy with a breeding kink."


    I snorted out augh, unable to hide how amused I was. Sure, theughter that was supposed never echoed against the walls because she looked ready to kill, but that, once again, was nothing of importance.


    "If you don''t focus on what I am about to tell you.. Zion," she ran a hand through her beautiful hair and stopped to face me. "If you don''t listen, there won''t be a pack anymore and definitely not a living mate you could impregnate. Does that sound serious enough for you to pay attention now?"


    Okay, this situation just got unnecessarily dark out of nowhere and I really didn''t appreciate this turn of events. Just the thought of losing K this soon after I had barely gotten the chance to call her mine was fucking unfair. "I''m listening," was all I managed to blurt out without thinking.


    As I watched her start to pace the basement all over again, I recalled the thing she said when she fist pulled me towards here. *Someone''s listening.* She had said.


    K didn''t seem to notice how I didn''t let my eyes leave her. I tried my best to read her, but the issue was that I still didn''t know her as well as I wished I would. Sure, we were mates, but our rtionship was so fresh that we didn''t have a chance to learn more about each other.


    Once K stopped and spun on her heel to look at me, I held my breath. My mate looked like something big was bothering her and all I wanted was to take all that worry and pain away from her.


    "What I am about to tell you, it''s not a joke. Let''s get that out of the way, okay?" K suddenly announced.


    I still stood like a fool, holding my breath, nodding my head, ready to agree with anything that woulde out of her mouth.


    "Something dark is looming over this pack. I know you won''t like this, but Salem and I still share a bond of a sort. She came to my dreams to warn me. But not for the danger that looms over me. It''s about Aife. And honestly, I too feel it. It''s strong, ancient and hard to exin. The biggest issue is that it''s growing stronger with every minute. It just appeared, out of thin air. Something bad is about to happen and I honestly worry it''ll happen sooner than anyone could expect." Raising an eyebrow at her, I was about to ask K to tell me more, but the nudge at my mind-link caught me off guard. Knowing something bad had to happen for anyone to need me, I quickly opened the link and listened. With each word that echoed in my mind, the dread froze my bones and my eyes grew bigger. When the link cut, K was in front of me, her hands holding my shoulders and shaking me as she screamed my name. "Zion, what happened? What''s going on?" She asked, nothing but paning her words.


    Quickly, I pressed my lips to her forehead and pulled my mate into a quick hug. "You must stay here. Lock yourself in the basement and don''t leave unless it''s me who''s at the door." I growled the words.


    K instantly shook her head, but I took away her chance to protest as I stepped away and held her face in my hands, "promise me. Fucking promise me you''ll stay here and open the door only if you know it''s really me. Promise me you''ll listen and stay hidden here."

 183: He’s targeting her.

    **Zion


    pov**


    It took me a good while to convince K to stay hidden. It was the most important thing on my list, but I also had to admit that I was angry at her.


    For fucking once, I asked her to do something and she chose acting like a goddamn child while being aware that the situation had gone out of hand.


    As much as I loved that woman, if I got out of this shit alive, she could bet her ass there would be consequences to the stunt she pulled.


    Like any other cat, she was too curious for her own good. She needed the details and kept getting in my way, demanding the answers and wasting the time I didn''t have as a result of her actions.


    Anger burned within me as I took off towards the main building. Bane''s words echoed in my mind over and over again, growing louder with every step I took closer to the main building.


    On my way, I seriously begged the Goddess to take care of Aife. That poor thing didn''t deserve getting hurt just because Bane couldn''t deal with his shit.


    Okay, I was being too harsh. This wasn''t entirely Bane''s fault and I couldn''t just expect him to deal with everything on his own. I did expect for him to tell me if he was struggling, though, so the silence kind of stung.


    The moment I reached the main building, I instantly picked up onmotion inside. It sounded as if someone was raging their head off, throwing shit and threatening everyone in their way. Insanity.


    And truth to be told, it was exactly what it sounded like to be. And the cause of the madness? Of course, my best friend Bane. But not quite him. It was and wasn''t him at the same time.


    Took me a moment to realize that the eyes that looked back at me weren''t his. My initial reaction was to scream at him because what the actual fuck, but when my eyes caught a movement at the top of the stairs, I didn''t waste a second to storm past everyone and run towards Aife.


    She just stood there, frozen on the spot. "Get away from there!" I shouted at her, hoping for once her reaction wouldn''t betray her.


    But of course it did. Just like K, as lovable as Aife was, she was fucking annoying and way too curious at times.


    Instead of listening, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and frowned at me, "I''ll need some answers about what is going on before you can order me around," Aife announced as a smug smile spread across her lips. Soon enough, I heard footsteps following me and I knew she was fucked. Or dead. Or both for Goodness sake.


    "Get off your fucking imaginary cloud and stop being a dick, Aife. You''re in fucking danger so listen to what I said and get the hell away from there," I shouted, growing more panicked with every step I took.


    I didn''t mean to be an asshole, but I needed to be one right now. So freaking bad. If she refused to listen while I was nice, she had to when I was mean.


    Aife didn''t move. She looked over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow, "are you and Bane ying tag? What are you - three year olds? Come on, this isn''t funny."


    Okay, I had to admit that I was growing unfairly irritated with her attitude. "That''s not Bane," was all I said.


    Her eyes widened and face paled as the realization finally sunk in. Instantly, she backed away from the stairs and took off towards the bedroom.


    Thankfully, she reached the door very fast and kept it open until I caught up with her. We mmed the door shut and locked it a moment before not Bane caught up with us.


    "What the hell is going on, Zion?" Aife whisper-hissed the question, clearly fuming.


    I paced before her, running my hand through my hair in frustration. "You''re in danger, that is what is happening. Even more so now that you couldn''t fucking listen to me when I tried to warn you first. Aife, I care for you, I love you like a sister, but you''re such a dumb bitch sometimes, I just can''t." All of my frustration washed out of me in waves.


    Although I knew my words were hurtful, Aife epted them all. "You''re right. I ask too many questions and ignore any signs of danger. I apologize."


    Her reaction to my rant caught me off guard and froze me in my step. Hearing her ept the shit I just spilled on her was thest thing I expected to hear from her.


    "What do we do now?" She suddenly asked, switching her weight from one leg to another.


    Honestly, I had no bloody idea. None. I knew how to calm Bane when the asswipe in his head started acting up, but this was the first time I had seen him take over my best friend like this.


    "I have no clue. All I know is that I need to figure out a way to keep you safe or even get you away from here.¡±


    As soon as those words left my lips, a loud banging startled us both. Bane had reached the bedroom and now, he kicked and punched the door as he screamed profanities at us.


    It wasn''t him, it wasn''t his voice, but I really had a hard time epting how shit this situation had turned.


    Pushing Aife further away from the door, I stood right in front of it and started talking in an attempt to reason with the beast. It took me a long while until he finally calmed down a little and somewhere in between his words, I could hear my best friend, not the monster.


    "I need to get her out of here. I know you want to protect her, I know you love her with all your heart, but I also know that you''re not a blind fool, Bane. You know better than anyone that the only protection Aife needs right now is protection from you. He''s targeting her, not the pack." I spoke as loudly as I could.


    After a brief pause, I heard Bane speak. Just Bane, not the monster. "Open the door, we don''t have much time."


    My hands shook as I followed themand. Before I could register it, the door was wide open and Aife brushed past me to jump onto Bane. She wrapped herself around his torso like a monkey, sobbing and begging him to let her stay. At this point, both of us knew there was no way we could convince her it was best to add some distance between the two. Bane nced at me, I could see the pain and heartbreak in his eyes, but knowing what he was nning, I nodded and agreed that the silent question was for the best. For everyone.


    While Bane pushed Aife off him, I quickly mind-linked a guard to tell him he had to prepare a car and wait at the door. I emphasized how important it was for him to be fast, like no longer than taking two minutes fast.


    By the time I ended the mind-link, Aife''s hand connected with Bane''s cheek. She was a sobbing, trembling, angry mess. "Fuck you, Bane! Fuck you, I''m not a toy and I hate you for using me like this! I hope you rot alone here!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and ran towards the stairs.


    Bane and I followed her. He kept his distance while I caught up with her. I informed Aife that there was a car outside, already waiting for her. I told her that a guard would hand her money and take her to a safe ce the same as I promised to keep in touch.


    Once we left the building, I quickly pulled her into a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. "Happy birthday, my brave Luna," I whispered, emphasizing her title.


    Aife looked like she was ready to cry, but she refused to let the tears fall down her cheeks. Instead, she quickly got in the car and encouraged the driver to take off.


    When the guard started the car, Bane stopped next to me and hissed, "won''t be able to hold him down for any longer. Once the car is out of view, knock me out and take me to the cells. I trust that''s something you will find fun." All I did was nod. I knew he did what had to be done, but it didn''t make the whole situation any better.


    And now, we both watched as the car pulled away from the building. However, it seemed that fate had another low blow for Bane in mind. Aife nced at him for thest time, her eyes instantly widening in horror.


    I nced at Bane right as he fell to his knees and ced a hand over his heart, hissing as if he was burning from the inside out.


    "What the fuck? Are you okay?" I asked, growing worried about his ability to withstand whatever was going on, especially after the stuff the High Council did to him.


    "Mate,¡± Bane cried out and fell forward, face first against the gravel.


    **THE END of book ONE.**

 THE BEASTS OBSESSION :1: If he finds out..

    **Zion pov**


    Ever since I sent Aife away Bane hasn''t been the same. I mean, Ipletely understood why he was so down, but I couldn''t turn back time.


    I had apologized times and times again for the past three months, begging my best friend to forgive me for what I did, but all Bane did was brush me off.


    These days, I hadn''t seen him for more than a brief moment in passing. The poor guy locked himself in the office and decided to iste himself from the rest of the pack.


    Every day, more and more pack members approached me, questioning me about the well-being of their Alpha and when their Luna would return, yet I had no answers to give. None at all.


    Deep down, even they knew that it was best if Aife didn''t return at all. Now that we knew that the Goddess had actually blessed Bane with a mate of his own - she was in more danger than anyone could have predicted.


    Just letting her stay nearby would put her in deathly danger. Honestly, although I hated to admit this - I was sure the monster inside my best friend would kill the poor girl if he had a chance.


    "Beta Zion," someone spoke up, pulling me back to reality.


    I looked to my right and smiled at the cautious reject approaching me. She was an older woman who often worked in the kitchen, but I wasn''t sure what her name was.


    "Yes?" I tried to sound cheerful despite the shit situation we all called our life these days.


    "I don''t mean to intrude on business I have no rights to know anything about, but I must ask.. are there any news from our Luna? You see, I know this might look like I''m pushing the limits, but I grew very close to Aife when she first arrived and I truly care about her. Deeply so. All I want to know is if she is okay and if there is anything me and the girls can do to help out more."


    She looked so broken, I didn''t know how to approach this subject.


    In all honesty, all of us were broken beyond repair. Ever since Aife had to leave, the pack hadn''t been the same. It couldn''t be. She was the light of our lives.


    Without her, I wouldn''t have my mate. Aife yed an important role in truly bringing us two together, she stood by everyone as a friend and protector, even despite the fact that she was the one who needed the protection the most. Running a hand through my hair, I let out a frustrated groan. "I''m not sure. I wish I had an answer, I wish I would know myself, but she''s so far away, I don''t think we''ll be able to reach her."


    "Do we at least know where she is? I''m really not trying to pry too much, I know it''s not my business, but we all still worry. It would be nice to calm our thoughts at least with assuring each other that she''s notpletely alone," she whispered, averting her gaze down to her feet.


    "She isn''t alone. I gave the guard a very specificmand and when he returned home, he assured me he took her right where I asked him to." I forced a smile, dying to leave this conversation as soon as possible. "Where''s that?" She perked up, looking all sorts hopeful and ready to pull the information from me no matter at what cost.


    Her excitement and determination amused me. So much so that I chuckled, for the first time in a while, I almostughed. That was new.


    Shaking my head, I took a step closer. "I couldn''t tell."


    Her eyes widened as if she didn''t expect that I would keep this information all to myself. "Why? I won''t tell anyone," she gasped, clearly taken aback.


    "Listen," I groaned as my shoulders fell a little. "I trust this pack with my life. Yes, including yourself and thedies that are worried about her, but I can''t tell. I really can''t. It''s risky that I know, but if anyone else learns that too - he will go berserk. I can take the torture, but can you?" I took another step closer and whispered, "could you take all he has to give when he wants to know where to find her? Can you survive your Alphas anger if it''s rooted with nothing but pain and heartbreak? For that girl.. He will go above and beyond. He will crawl to the depths of hell, take all his demons with him and return back to do that all over again just to have her. Think twice, it''s not smart for anyone but me to know. Even the guard, I sent him away so Bane can''t get his hands on the poor guy."


    All color drained from her face as the realization hit her. I watched her as it sunk in and slowly, she started backing away, understanding how dangerous it would be for her to know anything.


    And then, to my surprise, she froze in her step. Her eyes widened as she pped a hand over her mouth and tears started streaming down her cheeks. She choked on a sob as she started shaking her head in disbelief. "Beta Zion-" she spoke and choked on another sob.


    I walked closer, but she quickly stopped me by extending her arm. "Beta Zion, this is dangerous. How could you put yourself in such a position? The pack won''t allow it. No. You''ve been nothing but kind to everyone here, you''ve always been the protection and warmth we sought, and this is how you repay yourself? If he finds out.."


    It was a little sad to watch how worried she was about my well-being. At least in a way it was. Everyone around the pack pretty much knew that it was me who sent Aife away. The only reason why I wasn''t locked in the cells, enjoying the sweet nectars of pure torture was that Bane was avoiding everyone.


    Deep down, I knew, once he woulde back to his senses - I could kiss the life as I knew it goodbye. Hence why I was so busy setting everything up to ensure the pack wouldn''t suffer in the time of my absence and spent as much time with K as I could.


    Bane wasn''t a bad Alpha. He cared about his pack, more than he did for himself, but the monster within him clouded his judgment a little too often. He had so many demons to fight, survival was a challenge for my best friend. To ease the tension, I forced another smile and shook my head. "I''m fine. I will be fine. Promise."


    She still didn''t believe in my words, but I couldn''t me it on the poor woman. Clearly, she had been worried for a while and just now, I literally threw a bomb on her. A massive one.


    "But what if Alpha Bane decides to go after her? He will need a location and if he is aware that you know it, what happens to you then?" She kept demanding answers.


    Usually, no one in the pack got this bold and demanding unless there was a legit reason for that. I suppose worrying about my life was legit enough.


    However, as soon as I parted my lips, fully intent to calm her down, someone cleared their throat behind us. The sound was familiar in all the worst ways possible. He had finally broken out of his shell and he was pissed. "Beta, would you mind joining me in my office? I believe there is something you want to tell me," Bane''s voice was colder than ever, the tone sent shivers of pure terror down my spine.


    Offering the reject woman onest, forced smile, I whispered, "tell them to prepare the cell."

 2: Broken.

    **Zion


    pov**


    As I spun around to face my best friend, I nearly fell to my knees. Bane, the man I had known since I could remember myself, was no more the man he used to be.


    His posture was so weak, he no longer towered over others. The muscles on his body didn''t look rock-hard anymore and he had lost quite a lot of weight.


    Top that with those lifeless, soulless eyes and the massive dark circles under the eyes and get a whole set of a fucking shattered man. Broken beyond repair. Briefly, I recalled how his break up with his ex went. He was angry, raging even, but he didn''t look even half as tired as he did now. After losing Aife, Bane looked like he had lost all hope for anything good that might be out in the world. Giving him a sharp nod, I braced myself and held my breath as I walked towards Bane''s office. The reject woman whisper-hissed something, definitely my name, I heard that much, but one look from her Alpha made her go mute in a matter of seconds.


    As soon as I entered the office, Bane followed in my footsteps and closed the door. While he navigated his way to the chair behind the desk, my eyes took in the mess. There was nothing but broken furniture, mountains of empty bottles and torn papers scattered all over.


    If I didn''t know him better, I would probably assume he was a homeless guy who broke in and made this ce look a little more than the ces he knew as home.


    "Please, sit down," Bane spoke, emotionless, eyes focused on something in the distance.


    In any other situation, I mightugh at his invitation. There was no fucking ce for me to take a seat. However, seeing how withdrawn he was, I didn''t risk pushing the wrong buttons.


    "Thanks, I''ll stand. I assume this won''t be a heart to heart discussion and we will relocate soon too, so there''s no point in me gettingfortable." I kept my voice as steady as I could, despite the fact that my heart was shattering to pieces - slowly.


    In a matter of minutes, I knew I would follow my best friend down to the cells, to the very end, inside the secluded area specifically meant for torture. Then, I could forget about seeing my mate for a long, long time. Maybe his gaze didn''t give out what he nned yet, but I knew that empty stare. Nothing good came from a man who had died inside.


    A deep, dark chuckle left him, but there were no emotions on his face. None at all.


    The more time we spent in silence the more uneasy I grew. I needed him to speak. To shout and scream. To rage and growl. To break more shit, attack me for fuck''s sake. Anything. I would take anything just to see Bane was still there, maybe hidden but still present.


    But he wasn''t.


    "What you assume is right. I have a question before I take matters into my own hands. Let me remind you, and I can''t stress this enough, that it would be for the best if you answered honestly."


    I knew what wasing. He was taunting the fear that surged through me. He knew that I knew what the question was and to make the matters worse, he pointed out that there was something I had to admit.


    Something I couldn''t admit. A fucking secret I had to hold even if I took me to my grave early. Before I got to marry K as she asked me to. Before we could have children and build a proper family. Before I could feel like the happiest man alive and see the dreams I didn''t dare to wish coulde true.


    "Where is she?" Bane asked without waiting on my reaction.


    Cold shivers ran down my spine as sweat broke out on my forehead. My heart started beating just a little too fast as my hands became mmy, too disgusting for my own liking.


    "I can''t," I breathed out the answer in a weak whisper.


    His eyes didn''t leave the wall he was staring at. The only reaction I got was the same damn creepy chuckle - no amusement, just suppressed anger and pain.


    "You can and you will. That is an order, Beta!" Bane hissed.


    As his voice echoed against the walls and assaulted my whole being in waves, I fell to my knees, my teeth gritted and jaw tense as I fought back. I wasn''t the best friend anymore. I wasn''t Zion, the annoying shit he had known for most of his life. I was his Beta, his second-inmand, the man who was refusing to share the information he demanded.


    Now, on my knees, I was a traitor, which had to be the reason why Bane used his Alphamand on me. I didn''t know how much longer I could fight against it, so I grasped on thest idea I had and screamed, "I can''t! She is my Luna, my true Luna and I will rather die than put her in harm''s way!"


    "Very well," Bane muttered and for the first time in months, I saw an emotion sh in his eyes as the corner of his lip twitched. It couldn''t be more than a second and it was gone again, reced by the same empty stare and stoic facial expression.


    My best friend wasn''t in there anymore. All that was left was a fucking shell that looked like him.


    My eyes followed him as Bane rose from his seat and approached me. Once he stood right in front of me, the hostility that radiated off him made me sick, so I looked down instead of into his eyes as I usually would.


    His handnded on my shoulder and squeezed it painfully enough for me to let out a low hiss. "In that case, I believe you are ready to relocate. We have so much fun ahead of us."


    Another wave of shivers traveled down my spine as I forced myself to rise to my feet. I was in so much pain, I didn''t feel my body anymore, just the pain. Defying an Alphamand was torture of its own kind, that much was clear. Bane didn''t seem to be bothered by the pain or expression on my face as he gestured towards the door and grunted, "after you."


    Without looking at him, I spun on my heel and headed to the door. In a matter of seconds, I decided to keep my head up and show no weakness. If I broke down, especially in front of the other pack members who were surely gathering around because the reject definitely told them what was going on, there would be no chance for the pack to survive this.


    We had no weak links, so none would appear at the very top. I just hoped K wouldn''t be around to witness my walk of shame towards the end of the little freedom I knew.


    Opening the door to the office, I wasn''t surprised to see a crowd and more people lining the hall towards the living room. With a sharp nod, I mouthed, "don''t get involved, this is fine," to ensure no one but me would experience his wrath. As we walked down the hall, each pack member I passed bowed their head. I knew they were trying to show me their respect and that they stood by me, but.. As much as I enjoyed the solidarity, it was rather bittersweet.


    The old Bane would bark at the pack members, reminding them that they had responsibilities, but the shell of him didn''t waste words. I felt his presence behind me, bigger than life, looming over me like a shadow, but he didn''t acknowledge anyone.


    As I stepped into the living room, about to cross it and head towards the cell door, I froze in my step. My heart stopped as my eyes met K''s tear filled ones. I could see so much suffering in them while I had no right to calm her or soothe the pain.


    Somehow, I managed to gather myself and start walking. As I got closer, I forced a smile and whispered, "let it happen. I beg you. Be strong for me, my lioness."

 3: Wise choice.

    **K


    pov**


    It had been tough. Very much so.


    My life changed in a blink of an eye the moment I met Zion. He decided he didn''t want to give up on me, even if that would hurt him. The man didn''t care about his own pain for as long as he was sure I was happy. Unlike everyone else in my life, he didn''t act like I didn''t matter. Never.


    He made me feel like I was the most important person in this universe. In fact, he made me the center of his universe every chance he got. The man was mad, but I loved him for that.


    And that was why I dropped everything and ran to the main building when a guard at my door frantically exined how the Alpha had pulled Zion into the office and the whole pack feared what might happen next. We were ready for the day toe, but now that it was actually happening, I wasn''t ready at all.


    Everyone knew Bane would wake up from his state one day and demand answers. The very answers only Zion had. And Zion.. He wouldn''t betray his Luna like that.


    My heart sank as I got closer to the building, fearing the worst. I told him time and time again that I would be there, that I would be strong for both of us and I would stand by him, no matter how much Zion hated the idea. Rushing inside the building, I saw people standing around, impatiently waiting on the result of the conversation that was happening behind the office door.


    There were too many people closer to the office, so I remained in the living room and started pacing the ce, slowly losing thest bits of sanity I had. If their Goddess actually existed, she had to help my Zion. I hadn''t told him I was pregnant yet, I couldn''t do this alone. I couldn''t be a single mom.


    Just as the thought crossed my mind, tears started streaming down my cheeks. I wanted to tell him yesterday, I had gotten everything ready but after he returned from the evening patrol, Zion had been so exhausted and irritated, I didn''t want to bother him.


    Well, that and some kids from the pack causing havoc, so I didn''t feel like that was the best moment to announce he would be a dad.


    Some of the women who were gathered around, which was a rare asion, approached me and pulled me into warm hugs, offering their support.


    For a brief moment, it wasn''t too bad. Until I heard a collective gasp echo from the hall and a door being shut. Even standing here I knew what was happening.


    So, I stood a little taller and wiped the tears off my cheeks. This was hard as it was, Zion didn''t need to see my moment of weakness, especially since the footsteps near me. I knew what was happening.. We all knew where Zion and the Alpha were heading now.


    I held my breath and counted down from ten to calm myself a little. My heart leaped in my throat as Zion stepped inside the living room and froze in his step.


    He stood there no longer than two seconds, but it felt like an eternity as we gazed at each other. I could feel tears fill my eyes all over again. It wasn''t just fear I felt, it was pain too.


    There he was, in all his glory, my mate, the powerful father of my child, still towering over everyone and bringing fear upon others with his aura alone, about to endure the torture of his lifetime only because he was a good person. Because he knew where his loyalty had to stand.


    Far too soon, he collected himself and started walking closer to me. I could see the Alpha over his shoulder, but that man looked nothing like the Alpha who stood in front of us during the mating ceremony.


    The Alpha I knew was a fair man, strict and feared but genuinely caring for his pack, and darn it, he was a happy man too. At least while Aife was here with us.


    As Zion got closer, I barely held back the tears. He tried to smile at me, but I saw how forced the action was. He could try his best, I still could read him like an open book.


    And then, he had to deliver the final blow. He was close enough to whisper, "let it happen. I beg you. Be strong for me, my lioness."


    The words and the desperation thatced them nearly broke me. I knew he was heading there with no hope of returning ever again, so in a moment of pure panic, I gave him something to fight for. Something greater than himself and me. I reached out and grabbed his wrist to quickly pull his hand to my belly and hissed, "return. Fight and endure, my mate. Our pup will wait for you. Stay strong."


    Each word left me with a bitter aftertaste in my throat. I sounded so desperate, in so much pain, my head was spinning at this point.


    Zion''s eyes widened at the realization and the decision he had made earlier faded. I could see it in his eyes - he no longer was okay with heading down to the cells to entertain his best friend''s whims.


    Now, Zion had something of his own, something he had always dreamed about and never let himself believe he deserved happiness like that.


    Zion froze again. Completely. His hand still on my belly, eyes tearful. As his gaze met mine, a single tear rolled down his cheek as he choked out, "really?"


    My heart was stuck in my throat, I couldn''t utter a word so I just nodded my head. Who would have thought that a pregnancy announcement would be such a bittersweet moment.


    "I''m going to be a dad? A real dad?" Zion choked out more words,pletely taken by the moment. Although pain still resonated on his features, his eyes were shining with a newfound force of hope, even happiness if I dared to say.


    Before I could say anything, the Alpha shoved him and growled, "move!"


    Sadly, I had to admit that I flinched away in pure fear. I had seen a lot of aggression, anger and pain in my life, but I had never heard a growl like that - so powerful, so full of everything dark and scary that it shook the entire packhouse. "Fuck you," Zion hissed. I nced at him, realizing he was holding his side that was gushing blood. Only now I noticed Alpha''s w, dripping my mate''s blood.


    All fear faded, it was reced by anger and fear for my mate. The feral snarl that left me surprised even me. On an instinct, I took the position of an attack, ready to pounce at any moment. No one had the right to hurt my mate, not even his best friend.


    The Alphaughed. Honestly, hisugh caught me off guard not only because I hadn''t heard it in months, but also because there was no amusement in his features.


    "And what are you going to do, huh? Attack me? Come on, do it, I bet you''ll get far without ws. Yeah, I heard about it. I wish I could see a fucking defected cat,e on, shift and show off your glory!" He spoke so coldly, each of his words froze my blood.


    It took me a good moment to realize it wasn''t the Alpha speaking. His eyes had turnedpletely ck and cold, like endless voids. It was the other one..


    I knew the chance of me taking him down was slim, but I chose to take it. For my mate, for our baby. The first bone that broke was my leg, forcing out a scream as I copsed on the floor, preparing myself for a shift, but the process was stopped by Zion''s voice.


    "K, stop! The baby!"


    And just like that, I forced the dormant beast down, calming her and begging her protection for our cub. Or pup. Only the Gods knew what I was carrying.


    "Wise choice. Move," were thest words I heard as I watched the Alpha shove the love of my life towards the door to the cells and both of their bodies disappear before the veil of darkness fell over me.

 4: You tricked me.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Up until this moment, my days morphed into one, massive jumbled mess. I couldn''t sleep, eat or breathe without thinking about him. My mate, my Bane, the same man who wanted to kill me. Funny how fate yed games with us, huh? All that show of killing the pack, blowing up the packhouse and the torment I endured, for what? For everything to return back to the same ces? Just like he took me from my father, he sent me right back into his arms. Well, not exactly Bane, but Zion did. He sent me back to the only family I knew..


    Sure, the brighter part of this mess was that I met my wolf, she finally surfaced, but I couldn''t say she called me her friend or her other half. She was angry, bitter and very spiteful. I forced her to leave her mate, or at least that was what she imed, so we never spoke.


    She fought every shift and refused to tell me her name, so at the end of the day, I was pretty much as alone as I had always been. Nothing I had to get used to, but something I didn''t expect.


    All my life I thought my wolf would be my best friend. Look how fate pped me across the face, ha.


    But the biggest p of them all was what I was doing right now. I was sitting in the bathroom for the very reason I never thought I would. At least not this early.


    For the past thirty minutes, I had been staring at the little white stic device on the edge of the bathtub, too scared to move a muscle and take a peek.


    I literally sat in the corner of the bathroom like a true coward and kept willing myself to get this over with so I could keep living one way or another. It didn''t matter, did it?


    *"Don''t be a chicken, you fool. Take a peek."* Her voice echoed in my mind, taking me by a surprise.


    I actually gasped in disbelief. Was it my wolf, suddenly speaking to me?


    *"No, it''s Mozart, rising from his grave to announce that you are the next top model of this century."* She huffed.


    I rolled my eyes at the attitude. "I haven''t done anything to you for you to act like I''m the fucking dirt under your paws," I whisper-hissed.


    Okay, maybe some things had changed about me. Ever since I returned to my father and his new friends, I too had grown more bitter and no longer worried about being rude.


    *"And that''s not true. You keep lying to yourself to make yourself feel better about the shit you have done. Like it or not, but I prefer calling things as they are. And yes, you did something. You took away my mate. Bet you wouldn''t be too happy if I did the same shit to you."*


    "Isn''t it convenient that you happen to forget the part where he tried to kill me?" I asked and instantly chuckled, shaking my head.


    Deep down, I still didn''t believe it. Bane was a lot of things, but he wasn''t a mate killer. I saw how he was acting with my own eyes, I felt the danger and saw the intentions in his gaze, but I still tried to convince myself that nothing would have happened to me if I stood my ground. How stupid.


    The wolf in my head groaned, showing off the attitude I was used to already. *"Whatever. Now get yourzy ass up and look at that thing. I want to know."*


    Just to annoy her the same as she had been annoying me for months, I decided to defy her demands. "I don''t feel like getting up, I''m toofortable over here. And besides, can''t you feel shit like that? Oh no, don''t tell me you''re a defective one and that''s why you refuse to shift."


    It was a low blow and while I was sure that hurt her, I felt immense sense of pride. For once, I was standing up for myself, even against those who were the closest to me.


    *"I can''t feel it. We''re not connected like that yet. At least not on a level like that,¡± she admitted, sounding surprisingly sad.


    Sighing, I felt my old selfe back as I whispered, "why do you hate me so much?"


    The brief moment of silence made me worry, but once she mimicked my sigh, I knew she was about to tell me something important. *"I don''t hate you, okay? I couldn''t hate a part of myself. We''re one, you know. It''s just that..."* I bit the inside of my cheek, waiting for her to continue, but she never did. "It''s just that?" I repeated her words.


    *"It''s just that I might be a little butt hurt. Jealous even," she finally finished.


    I felt how my eyebrows pulled together while I tried to figure out what she was on about. This didn''t make sense. What could she possibly be jealous of? It wasn''t like I had something that she didn''t have. Mine was hers, after all. *"You got time with him. Closer to your birthday, there were a few moments I could force my way to the surface for a brief second and see him too. I watched him through your eyes and knew before you did. I''m jealous because you had those moments when he looked at you with so much love and adoration that it made me feel like thest wolf alive. You had that time with him and I never had a chance to introduce myself to mate, let alone enjoy his embrace or hear him speak. Doormat wolves, before they''re ready to surface, we don''t hear anything but the human side''s thoughts. I don''t know his voice. I don''t know his words. I don''t know his touch and love. But you do, so I''m jealous. There, I admitted everything, now get up and nce at the thing, I''m dying of curiosity."*


    How could I, if her words left me glued to the tiled floor,pletely dumbfounded. I was such a fool for never thinking this deep. She was so right. Goddess, she was right. I never acknowledged those things and looked past them as if they didn''t matter. I looked past her pain and everything she lost before she had a true chance to have it all.


    "I''m sorry," I whispered, feeling genuinely sorry for the pain I had caused her. I was such a shitty person..


    *"I''ll get over it. Honestly, I already feel a little better now that you know. Maybe I was too hard on you too. How about we start all over again? Like this is the first time we have met?"* She offered.


    A smile spread across my lips as I wiped the tears off my cheeks. "I would really like that," I agreed, sounding so happy, the moment felt unreal.


    My wolf cleared her throat. *"So, the first thing on the list would be to introduce ourselves to each other, right? I know that your name is Aife, so it''s only fear if I share mine too. It''s Clove. Nice to meet you, my human self," she added a giggle for a good measure.


    "Clove," I repeated. "That''s such a dreamy name. Is it because of the color of your fur? I think it''s absolutely stunning, by the way. I''ve never seen anything more beautiful. Oh, and I''m really d to meet you for real too. No hate this time." *"Pleasantries aside, hop on your feet and get that stic thing, i want to see,"* she barked, excitement oozing from her words.


    I chuckled and shook my head. "You tricked me."


    *"Every weapon is good in love in war or whatever the saying was. Now, check, please. And then we eat, yes, we feast. I will hunt down the biggest and tastiest buck for you."*


    Although Clove''s promise left my stomach in knots and raised an insane need for me to vomit all over the ce, I didn''t mention that. On shaky legs, I stood up and walked towards the bath, filled with both excitement and dread from what I was about to see.


    Yep. There it was. As bright as a fucking day. Two lines.

 5: Not him.

    **Bane


    pov**


    I tried to fight him. I did.


    And yet, no matter how much I used to pride myself for my self-control, ability to remain cool and collected, and self awareness, now, I threw it all out the window.


    I never intended to take Zion to the cells to actually do something. The main idea was to scare him a little, nothing more. He had to understand that I was dying to find out if my mate was safe.


    Of all the fucking people I knew, Zion had to understand. He had to. Especially since he had K, but unlike me, he could fall asleep with his mate in his arms every single night while I drank myself fucking dumb just to.. To feel numb. But it was toote now. He took over, he used my weakness, the moment I didn''t pay attention and took advantage of it. The same as me, he too wanted to know where Aife was but for whole different reasons.


    Now, Goddess, only fucking now I realized how stupid I was. I had been so blinded by my pain that I didn''t stop to think about the impact and risks I was taking when I decided I wanted to know where she was. Because of my stupidity, my best friend was about to suffer and Aife, my beautiful, unique, wonderful mate - she was in grave danger.


    I tried to trash against the fucker, to win the control back, but he was unmovable. Even as I shouted over and over again, begging Zion to hear me and keep the information about her all to himself, I couldn''t force a word past my lips. He paralyzed me and I fucking hated him for that.


    Sadly, I was a nobody now, someone who was watching shit unfold right before my eyes while I had no chance to change anything.


    "I''d prefer to talk to my best friend, not some old spirit fart, you know. Remember my best friend, Bane? Yeah, the same, the true Alpha of this pack." Zion started mumbling, clearly intent to piss the fucker off.


    I wished I could tell him to keep quiet, to stop pushing his buttons and adding more awful things to his imaginary list of torture, but we all knew Zion was incapable of shutting the fuck up.


    "Plus, his breath doesn''t stink like a swamp monster''s asshole. That''s how I can tell you two apart, you know. For as long as it''s Bane, everything''s fine but once you take over, sheesh, dude, makes me wonder if you have heard of a


    revolutionary invention called a toothbrush? For more information, you use it with toothpaste, mouthwash and if you''re a really happy camper, you also floss your teeth regrly too." To add insult to the injury, Zion waved his hand in front of his nose as if he was chasing away the bad smell.


    I chuckled at that. Although his behavior was stupid, he still managed to amuse me, if only for a second.


    "Hey, I got a question," Zion added as we reached the cells and the fucker used my hand to push my best friend forward.


    "Walk. Ask," he grunted, using my voice, yet somehow making it sound like something I hadn''t heard before.


    It wasn''t the tone or anything - my actual voice changed, it sounded lower and more high pitched at the same time.


    "When you were alive.. How many of your teeth did you lose? Did they rot out of your mouth because you didn''t brush and that''s why you stink? Or did your wife knock them out? Not that I''m judging anything because I''d do the same damn thing if I were married to someone like you. Ew, poor, poor soul, to go to bed every night and not know if she''ll die in her sleep because of that gasing from your mouth.. Yeah, she had to have gone through some suffering beyond imagination." Zion shook his head, pretending to be sad.


    Now, he was really pushing the limits. Zion''s behavior made me wonder if he had a n in his mind, maybe there was more to his words than just an attempt to piss the moron off.


    "If I were you, I''d watch your tongue," he spat, once again using my voice as his weapon. This fucker was pushing even me, and worst of all, he did it with great pleasure knowing I had no way to fight him.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t speak. You should be reported as a toxic waste," Zion spat back.


    I was torn between amusement and fear. Amusement for everything my best friend was saying and fear of what the fucker who held my body captive was capable of. Surely, Zion had to know the possible consequences.. From the corner of my eye, I could see us passing by the cell where the witch was still held. I had no idea why, although the woman gave me some serious creeps, I had a feeling that she had to live.


    She, in turn, watched us walk with interest. Maybe I was looking into this mess too much, but I could swear she mouthed, "not him, a vessel."


    A part of me wanted to question her, but of course, the fucker wouldn''t allow me to even if I begged. He had ns of his own, ideas to fulfill and goals to chase.


    He led Zion through the massive, heavy metal door and shoved my best friend inside a box-sized cell. Why he chose this one was beyond me. There were no tools we used on anyone to pull out the information, no restraints, nothing. Just a tiny, wet, dark room.


    I watched Zion being shoved into the corner of the room and hit the wall. Slowly, he turned around, holding a hand over his bleeding side and grinned. "What, is this all you got? Are you nning to ground me? Oh, no, big daddy is mad now? How can I undo my sins, tell me, I''ll do anything," he taunted, never dropping the grin from his lips.


    Just looking at him, I winced. That wound looked pretty deep and damn painful. Someone had to help him with that, if only to clean it and stitch it up, so I had toe up with a way how to order someone to do that.


    First thing on my new to-do list had to be how to rid myself of the control of this freak. I had to break free, put my foot down and show him who truly owned this goddamn body. He had to remain exactly what he was - a part of the past that haunted me.


    Honestly, now that I thought of this, I couldn''t understand how and why he was getting so damn strong all of a sudden.


    I had tried to understand this thing with him for many years and from what I gathered all over the ce, he was supposed to remain as nothing but the annoying voice in my mind. The reminder of the ugly stain on my bloodline, not an actual mind that controlled my body.


    "Keep acting up, your days are counted anyway," my own voice pulled me out of my thoughts, forcing me back into reality.


    I stole thest nce at my best friend, who didn''t look amused at all and watched the imposter close the cell door and lock it.

 6: You don’t want it?

    **Aife


    pov**


    My hand trembled as I reached for the stic object and held it, bringing it closer to my face. I was trying to prove something to myself as if my eyes were ying a trick on me.


    Nope, there they really were, the two lines that tied me to Bane for good. Maybe he didn''t know about this, damn it, I barely learned this, but I had to keep in mind that one test isn''t aplete guarantee just yet.


    Humming under my breath, I reminded myself that it might as well be. Not that we slept together every single night or had sex that often, but I couldn''t recall us ever using protection.


    Damn it, I couldn''t push the me on myck of experience at this point. Just because Bane was the first man I shared the bed with didn''t mean I wasn''t warned about the consequences or told anything about means of protection. And besides, why would I me only myself? Bane, unlike me, was pretty experienced in that area, so he did know better.


    *"A pup. We''re having mate''s pup!"* Clove called out, pure excitement oozing from her.


    I wished I could share even half the happiness she felt. Maybe even less, but in that case, I would feel at least a bit of it. All I felt was fear, dread and pain.


    "Yeah," I sighed, letting the fact sink in as my eyes didn''t leave the damn pregnancy test. I felt like I was trying to erase the proof of life growing inside me.


    How could I feel so conflicted? A child was supposed to be a blessing and I was sure that under different circumstances I would have felt like the Goddess had blessed me, but I couldn''t feel like that now.


    *"Aife? You''re not happy? You don''t want it?"* Clove asked, sounding a little too desperate.


    I shook my head, even though I didn''t know what message I was trying to give her.


    *"You must tell mate. This isn''t your decision. Or at least only yours. The pup is the result of you two, you didn''t nt it inside on your own, so you must talk to him. Together, you decide. Never alone."* She scolded me.


    Tears filled my eyes as a scenario shed in my mind. I had to go and imagine how magical would be this moment if Bane was near, if we would find out that we were about to be parents together.


    "I won''t get rid of it," I whispered, more to assure myself but also to calm Clove.


    At this point, she was nearly raging in my head, restless, unable to find a ce for herself. Once she understood what I said, slowly, she calmed down and settled to sit down.


    *"Good. Good," she whispered.


    I was about to toss the pregnancy test in the bin, but Clove shouted, *"no!"* and I instantly froze up.


    Arching an eyebrow, I waited for her to exin her weird reaction to such a simple thing. It wasn''t like I wasmitting a crime by tossing out the trash. Or was it that she was one of those sentimental persons who wanted to keep this thing as something important?


    ncing at the test, I shivered. Honestly, I couldn''t imagine myself holding onto a thing I had to pee on just minutes ago. The stench would be unbearable at one point, especially for a nose as sensitive as hers.


    *"As much as I appreciate your worry, and by the way - you have a point, my reaction isn''t entirely that. Nothing even close to your assumption, actually,"* she chuckled.


    Yeah, her speaking would probably be the easiest way to confuse me. I liked how straight-forwards she was, but really hated the fact that she didn''t bother to spill everything that was on her mind from the get-go. Nope, she had to build up some suspense while she was at it.


    **And in that regard, yes, you''repletely right. What is life without some fun surprises and unexpected events?"*


    "I think I''ve had plenty of surprises without you adding some," I grumbled.


    Cloveughed. This was the first time I heard herugh and I instantly fell in love with the sound. She was so carefree, sofortable and open, my heart felt warm and full.


    Once she calmed down and caught her breath, Clove exined herself. *"Not to break the bad news, but this ce isn''t quite the safest ce in the universe, especially for you. On one side, you have the man who tried to buy your hand for marriage and even attacked the pack you loved, while on the other side, you have the man who ims to love you, and yet, he dly took the money he was offered for you."*


    I nodded my head, agreeing with everything she said. I wouldn''t deny the truth, especially one I had known for a while.


    *"So, now that I have reminded you of the situation and people that surround you.. Do you really think they will be happy about the news? Aren''t you scared that one of them might drop something in your drink or food to get rid of the pup? Our mate isn''t the nicest person alive, he has many crazed enemies who would dly use you as a pawn against him. And if they find out about the pup, Goddess, have mercy, that would end us all."*


    My hold around the test tightened. Clove was right. We couldn''t know who we could trust at this point. Far too many people had a grudge with Bane and this new turn of events could be easily used against him.


    I felt truly grateful for having Clove and her input on the situation I was struggling with. Honestly, I was so damn emotional that I wouldn''t be surprised if I broke down in front of my father and told him everything, foolishly believing he would be happy about this.


    But then, following this problem, I had another one in line - father still believed I was a virgin. This sounded so bad, but it was one of the first things he asked me when we sat down to talk.


    How I didn''t see the red gs sooner? I was taken from the pack, dragged far away and a lot had happened during my time of absence but all he worried about was if anyone had touched me.


    At first, I truly believed that he was scared that someone had touched me or taken advantage of me. At least for a while. But now, not only did I know but I also needed toe to terms with the truth. He didn''t give a shit about my well-being. My father cared about his image and ability to sell me off after all. He didn''t have a daughter - he had a product he would sell to the highest bidder.


    *"We keep this pregnancy a secret, okay? Promise me, Aife,"* Clove whispered, sounding a little off.


    I was so used to her sassy attitude that it felt weird to hear her sound this.. Normal?


    Maybe it was better that I hesitated because soon after, a knock sounded on the bathroom door. "Aife, baby, are you okay? You''ve been in there for hours." Speak of the devil, huh?

 7: I’m fine.

    **Aife pov**


    Nothing but cold, dark dread washed over me as I listened to my father coo at me. He sounded so weird, I wasn''t sure if this was the man who had raised me or if the aliens kidnapped him and reced with someone else.


    "Aife? Are you okay? Please, talk to me. I know you must have gone through hell with that monstrous man, but please, believe me when I say I tried my best. I did everything, begged, pleaded and wasted thest resources I had just to get you back," he kept speaking,pletely ignoring the fact that I wasn''t reacting to his words.


    Truth to be told, I didn''t trust my father anymore. It wasn''t just his attitude that threw me off but also the speeches he had been giving me ever since I came here. Every word that left his lips felt rehearsed, not like something that came from the heart.


    "I''m fine, dad," I finally grunted while hiding the pregnancy test in my bra.


    Clove had to have a reason to suggest we keep the pregnancy a secret, so I decided to stick with it. Also, I understood her point of view. Not only because our father would definitely go off the rails if he knew and the lectures about shame would be never ending, but also because he had no idea about what type of rtionship Bane and I had.


    For all I knew, he could try to force me to terminate the pregnancy.. But then again, I was pretty sure I was too far along for that. Which, fuck, brought me to the next problem - I couldn''t stay here for any longer. They might have caught on extra heartbeats already and in no time, I would start showing.


    *"Protective mama wolf, I like that. They won''t hear the heart if I didn''t notice that before them and once the beating is strong enough, I''ll hide it. The pup is strong. Ours, we shall protect. Together."*


    Clove''s words calmed my raging heart like a luby. "Thank you," I whispered, making sure only she would hear me.


    But of course, he did too. "For what, darling? I didn''t do anything?"


    "Ah, well, dad, I just wanted to thank you for always being there for me and worrying. That''s all. I''m just a little overwhelmed after everything, you know.. I think it''s best if I spend some time alone."


    Thest thing I wanted was for anyone to think Bane deserved the attitude he was getting from others. He wasn''t the monster they imed him to be. He was everything but that.


    "I''m d at least someone has enough decency to appreciate everything I''m doing for them," he grumbled under his breath.


    I raised an eyebrow at the door, wondering if letting my curiosity run wild would be the best option in this situation. Honestly, I had no idea if it was a good idea, so I reached out to my wolf for advice. Goddess, this felt so good - to actually have someone who could guide me was amazing.


    *"I think it''s best if you y stupid. He''s beening around here pretty often, every time he ims he''s checking up on you, but I have a feeling that he has ulterior motives,"* Clove whispered.


    I nodded and braced myself. Sooner orter, I would have to face my father. All this time I had avoided him so many times, I wouldn''t be surprised if he was suspicious about my behavior. Even more now that I really had something to hide. Just as I gripped the door handle and opened the door, he raised his fist, ready to knock again. "Ah, there she is, my princess in all her glory," he grinned and ced his hands on my cheeks, pulling me closer to press his lips to my forehead. "Hmm, a fever?"


    "I''m not feeling too good," I lied, averting my gaze. If anything, my father had always been amazing at reading people, so lying to his face wasn''t the easiest thing to do.


    ying the childhood game, though, was very easy. Years ago, I used to feel ashamed every time I caught something. Since everyone in the pack spoke about our unique abilities and qualities, most wolves looked down at those who caught anything. And with me, well, it happened that I used to get sick pretty often when I was a child.


    The sharp inhale of breath pulled me out of my thoughts just as my father ced his hand on my forehead and frowned. "You''re of age now. Could it possibly be heat?"


    I instantly sharted shaking my head. "No, it couldn''t." It pained me that I had to lie like this, to disregard the existence of my mate to get out of shit situation, but for this one time, I had to. "I haven''t met my mate yet, remember? I can''t magically go into heat with a non-existent mate."


    "Ah, that''s right," he waved me off and chuckled. "That little piece of information slipped my mind, my apologies, darling."


    And now, he had to make it all way worse with the look in his eyes. Why he had to look at me with so much pity was beyond me. I didn''t need or want his pity party. I needed some alone time to process what I had just learned and decide what step to take next.


    "Hey, don''t be sad, I''m sure he''s somewhere out there," he trailed off and suddenly cursed under his breath. "Fuck."


    I arched an eyebrow and tried to read him. Why was he acting so darn strange all of a sudden? Not that my dad wasn''t super strange on a good day, but this was something else. Since he didn''t speak for another few minutes, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and red at him, "dad?" The word that left me was sharp and spiteful, but I didn''t care.


    He was more than wee to go off the rails about me, being disrespectful and whatnot, but there was no way for him to find a way out of a situation he had created himself.


    "Alright, I suppose it''s best if Ie clean with you and tell you everything about why I came to your room again," he muttered and sighed, as if he had something heavy to get off his chest.


    He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the bedroom, closer to the bed. "I think it would be better if we sat down and discussed everything first."


    There it was, strike two. Something seriously sketchy was going on.


    *"Whatever he asks of you, whatever he demands or even pleads, don''t agree on the spot. Tell him you will think, entertain his attempt to manipte you into doing something, but don''t promise anything."* Clove snarled. Well, then. The situation had to be worse than I assumed. If she was this angry at my father and already warned me about the possibilities, I believed she suspected something already.


    And yet, I followed his lead like the obedient little girl I had been all my life. There was a point and time when all I wanted was to earn my father''s praise. I didn''t dare to talk back, disagree or challenge him. I was the perfect daughter, the easy to profit off pawn for him.


    Not anymore. I was stronger, smarter and better now. After Bane, I had learned a thing or two about myself and there was no way I was willing to drop it off just to return to the roots of submission. Not that my father had to know that now. Sitting down on the bed, I held my breath and waited for him to speak up. If not more, the least he could do was tell me what was weighing on his mind so heavily to return time and time again. Although he wasn''t an Alpha of a running pack right now, he still was a very busy man.


    "This might shock you, but it''s important so hear me out, okay?" He started, looking into my eyes like he was trying to find something.


    I nodded, ying the role of the gullible fool he knew me as.


    The corner of his lip twitched up nearly instantly. His burning gaze focused on the wall in front of us and for once, I felt like I could breathe again. Not for long, though.


    "As you know, we''re staying in Killian''s ce. He''s been out for a good while, but today I got a call that he is nning to return soon. Maybe in a week or less." "And?" I encouraged him to tell me more.


    "The wedding is happening. I know you won''t like it, but that''s how the things are and I can''t afford to take my word back. Especially with the work on pack grounds I already started. You must understand me, it''s a tight position, but I know you, you will agree, right? You must. You care about the pack just as much as I do, if not more."

 8: Part of the plan.

    **Milly pov**


    "So? How did it go?" I asked as I jumped from my seat the moment my dad walked into the living room.


    Ignoring my question, he ran a hand through his graying hair and groaned. My eyes didn''t leave him while he started pacing the room as if his ass was set on fire.


    This didn''t look good. The tension that radiated off him could mean only one thing - she was pulling out of the deal. No. I couldn''t let this slide. I wouldn''t allow that useless piece of crap to take everything away from me. Never. I was so damn close, I could almost taste thevish lifestyle I could enjoy soon after the wedding and here she was, after all our family had done for her, denying the only thing we asked of her.


    "She said she will think about it," my father''s voice broke the tense silence, doing nothing but pissing me off even more.


    "Did you tell her about the new deal too? Will she consider that part?" I asked as I tried to stop him.


    "No," he growled. "I got enough time to exin the wedding deal and that''s where she shut me out. She promised to think and asked for time to let it all sink it. She knows Killian ising back home soon, but she doesn''t know any more." "Goddess, you''re fucking useless, dad," I growled at him. "Couldn''t you find a moment to sprinkle that in too? Just throw everything on her, ensure she''s overwhelmed and take advantage of the situation. How many times do I have to remind you how easy it is?"


    I struggled to keep my voice down. All I really wanted was to shout, scream and rage. He fucking had to understand that this was myst resort. I needed her to marry Killian, I needed the money I had already started investing in my pack - money I didn''t have.


    Unless my pack looked up the part, there was no way I could have a chance with the king. He had been looking for a wife for a while, the whole world was talking about it, and some silly girl was about to take away my big chance? Ha. "I''m trying, alright?" Dad hissed. "It''s not like I don''t care about her at all. I''ve raised her ever since she was an infant, I can''t just ignore the bond that grew between us. And besides, I''m not that keen about that second part of the n." He finally stopped pacing and looked at me with nothing but pain and regret in his eyes. Hadn''t he learned that the pitying look won''t work on me? I had gone too far, done way too much to get where I was and there was no way I was even considering ever turning back.


    No. I didn''te this far to lose it all. I was so close to my damn goal that I was ready to kill if it came to it.


    "What bond, dad? The non-existent one? Aren''t you supposed to think about me before you think about others? Are you willing to leave your daughter, your flesh and blood in a ditch? Broke, homeless, dirty?" I spat each word with nothing but fury as I neared him.


    Dad threw his hands up in surrender and shook his head, "no, Milly, darling, that''s not what I meant. Never. I would never leave you behind, broken and all the rest of the things you mentioned. You are my child, I care for you and will until the day I die. Please, calm down and let''s sit down. Maybe you can navigate me through the n again so I understand better?"


    One thing was clear - he knew how to calm me down. While I didn''t want to give into his suggestion, I knew it was better if I focused on the problem rather than the root of it. First, careful nning and then, I would strike.


    I followed him to the couch and fell on it, letting out a heavy sigh of annoyance. Of all the people, my dad shouldn''t be someone who betrayed me.


    Since he didn''t speak, I decided to break the silence before it dragged out. "What is it that you don''t like about the second part of the n exactly? And don''t try to dance around the topic, I need the answer as soon as possible. Seriously, don''t let me down with this one. Not this time."


    From the corner of my eye I could see him cover his face with his palms before he let out the weirdest grunt ever. "Can you give me a moment to gather my thoughts? Please, just a moment, surely that''s not even half as much as you ask of me."


    How many sounds of displeasure and anger could I make to get my point across with this old man? He had one job, one fucking job and he still managed to blow it all so easily.


    I didn''t get it. The brat refused to talk to me, so I had to send him. But now that she was finally opening up and agreeing on conversations, he failed. Damn it, I was surrounded by idiots.


    Just as the thought crossed my mind, he shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "What I am notfortable with is your idea about basically selling her off with a primary purpose of a breeding machine. I get it, the two of you never had a chance to spend time together or form a bond, but Milly, this is wrong my child. It''s so wrong. An arranged marriage? Fine, our ancestors did it, some people still do overseas and that is viewed as the most basic thing that might happen to someone. But childbirth? And also, I don''t think it was a good idea to promise him six children. Think about your sister, please."


    Listening to him made me burn in anger. How could he? I was his daughter, not her. This piece of leftover Alpha was worrying about some nobody more than he was worrying about his flesh and blood.


    Jumping to my feet, I snarled at him. "How dare you put her so high where she doesn''t belong? Are you seriously cing her needs andfort before mine now?"


    He shook his head, eyes as wide as ever. "No, Milly, you misunderstood me. Listen, don''t pull stuff out of context, that''s so bloody unfair of you. Please, calm down and listen."


    "Calm down?" Iughed in his face. "He says I should calm down and listen. So how about this - you fucking listen. Not only to me but to yourself too because you sound mental at this point."


    Another frustrated sigh left him as he averted his gaze down to his feet. "I''m listening, I really am. I listen to you and to myself too. I''ve wanted to bring this up for a while but I couldn''t find a moment to do so. Now, we can finally discuss everything like grown people, not like father and his spoiled little princess."


    "You reap what you sow, father dearest. I''m not a spoiled little princess without a reason. In fact, I''ve had a lot of help to be one over the years. And would you look at this, isn''t the person who made me one sitting in the same room I stand?" I mocked him.


    He still refused to look at me, just insisted on muttering, "I still think you''re taking it all too far. She is as much of a human being as we both are, she shouldn''t be treated as less. Or a breeding machine."


    I rolled my eyes at his pity party attempt. "News sh, daddy dearest. You agreed to this and you will go through with it. If Killian wants her to give him six children, she will do that even if the price she has to pay is her life. I don''t give a shit. The only thing I care about are the five million per child Killian will stop in my bank ount. I''ve already started work in the pack which has forced me into massive debt so I suggest you don''t fuck this up for me. Not to mention that you have failed to marry her off to Killian so I haven''t gotten the initially agreed sum yet either. And besides, you were the one who strived to offer your poor widowed daughter as a candidate for the king to marry, so we must look up the part when he arrives to visit. And father," I leaned down to whisper, "don''t make me reveal your big secret to Killian; I doubt the Alpha would be happy after learning that the rat who killed his best friend is living under his roof and sitting at the same table with him. Watch your back."

 9: Before anyone notices.

    **Aife pov**


    As soon as father left the bedroom, I felt like I could breathe again. Not for too long, though. Clove felt like something was off with him and the reason behind his visit so she kept urging me to sneak after him and find out if he had something to hide.


    At first, I argued back and tried to convince her that father, as weird as he could be, was a good man and didn''t hold secrets from his family.


    However, along with her nagging came a weird feeling in my gut, the same type as one I felt when Bane attacked the pack and took me from there. The feeling I swore to never ignore again.


    So, instead of hiding away like I had done for the past few months, I took the leap into the unknown and snuck downstairs, intently listening for any giveaway where my father might be.


    It didn''t take longer than a minute for me to hear hushed voicesing from the living room. One was my father''s, the other, I didn''t quite recognize it yet.


    Sneaking closer, I held my breath and willed my heart to calm down a little. I couldn''t just barge in on that conversation, especially since it sounded tense, so I had to ensure they wouldn''t catch me spying on them.


    As I got close enough to hear the muffled words, I pressed my back against the wall and listened in, paying attention to my surroundings just in case someone would walk by and catch me red-handed.


    "She is as much of a human being as we both are, she shouldn''t be treated as less. Or a breeding machine." My father stated.


    It looked like I had missed quite a chunk of the conversation, but this sounded serious. I didn''t have all of the information and details, so I definitely had to stay around and listen.


    Whatever was happening in that room - it was big.


    My heart was beating so fast, I heard the pounding in my ears and missed something, but managed to gather myself possibly at the best moment ever.


    "If Killian wants her to give him six children, she will do that even if the price she has to pay is her life. I don''t give a shit. The only thing I care about are the five million per child Killian will stop in my bank ount. I''ve already started work in the pack which has forced me into massive debt so I suggest you don''t fuck this up for me. Not to mention that you have failed to marry her off to Killian so I haven''t gotten the initially agreed sum yet either." A woman hissed.


    I didn''t need to hear more. No matter how hard someone might try to convince me that this conversation had nothing to do with me, it was toote to cover it with lies. Far toote.


    My hand instinctively covered my t belly. If these two were nning to marry me off and promised I would pop out children for that man, he would rather die than let my baby live. Killian and Bane had some bad blood between them, what would be a better way for Killian to hurt Bane if not kill his child?


    Bile rose up to my throat and tears filled my eyes. I wouldn''t allow this. I couldn''t.


    Just because they didn''t know I was pregnant didn''t mean they had any right to treat me like less than a human being. Just like them, I was a shifter, one of an Alpha line at that, so they had no damn right to sell me off likest week''s pie. Taking a shaky breath, I pushed myself off the wall and tip-toed away. Once I reached the staircase and nced up, I realized that returning to that room might be the worst thing I could do now.


    While grabbing some essentials sounded like the best course of action, by doing so, I put myself under more risk than I already was. I could probably grab a bag of extra clothing in the woods and Clove would surely hunt something for us to


    eat.


    *"Bet your ass I will. We can devour the animal in my form but once we get far enough, I don''t mind hunting one down and waiting until you cook the meat. I know a thing or two about forests and everything edible there so I can guide you. Oh, and I''m pretty good atbat too, if I may say so myself, so you two will be protected."* She assured me.


    A slight smile tugged at my lips. Us two. Didn''t that sound amazing?


    "Now, it''s us three against the world," I muttered to myself, loving the sense of pride that surged through me as soon as those words passed my lips.


    *"We better leave before anyone notices us,"* Clove urged me.


    I really appreciated how aware and careful she was. With her on my side now, I felt like for once, I had someone I could rely on without fearing anything going wrong. No one could take Clove from me.


    But first, I snuck inside the kitchen and looked around. Oddly enough, there were no cameras around this massive property and unless someone had to actually work in the kitchen, no one stuck around there. It was aplete opposite to Bane''s pack where the pack members loved to mingle in the kitchen, if only to enjoy a cup of coffee together.


    *"Grab what you need and let''s go, I think the patrol is nearing, we''ll have about five minutes to escape before they notice someone darting through the property."*


    I nodded in a silent agreement and grabbed a tote bag left hanging on a doorknob. I could have gone for better things, but I chose to toss some apples, gran bars and a couple of bottles of water inside the bag. *"That doesn''t look too tasty,"* Cloveined.


    "And that also doesn''t reek like meat does," I exined in a whisper, heading for the back door.


    *"Point taken. I hear them gathering on the other side of the house, our five minutes start now. Once you reach the forest line, put the clothes in that bag and let me do my magic."*


    I didn''t bother to even think about protesting her words. I knew Clove had a n and was more than willing to stick to it. And besides, her n was way better than anything I could suggest - she was a way faster runner than I could be. As I hurried out of the house and headed towards the forest, I kept ncing back and around, just in case someone noticed me leaving. Thankfully, that wasn''t the case and by the time I entered the forest, no one had noticed my absence yet. That had to be a good sign.


    Once I dropped the bag and started stripping, a painful realization hit me. "Won''t the shift hurt the baby? I''m a little worried that it could be too much. We don''t know," I muttered, still worried that someone could overhear us. *¡°No,¡±* Clover didn''t have any hint of worry in her voice. *"Shifts are natural to us and at one point, they will be natural for our pup too. It won''t hurt the baby, I''m sure it won''t."*


    Okay, I really needed that reassurement more than I initially thought. Thankfully, she sounded so sure of every word she said, I didn''t have to overthink and waste the time we both didn''t have.


    I slid off my panties and shoved all the clothes in the tote bag, tying it close just in case. The next moment, I didn''t realize how I had shifted faster than I could bink. One second I stood on two feet and the next, I was on four. Clover took the bag with her teeth and bit onto it for extra safety. *"You can rest now, I will protect you two."

 10: How so?

    **Zion


    pov**


    If anyone ever asked me how I described life in the cells, I would say it was fucking amazing. Ten out of ten would rmend it to anyone. How I didn''t think of experiencing this bliss ever before this time was beyond me. Not only I enjoyedplete silence and time with my thoughts, which by the way fucking sucked, but I could also speak to myself. Who in their right mind didn''t enjoy conversations with themselves? Okay, maybe I was hyping up this ce. Aright, I definitely fucking was. I hated it here.


    The ce reeked like mold and wetness. I could watch rats fight over imaginary food and listen to prisoners cry out in pain. This was a new setting, even for our pack, but until Bane managed to take control over his own body, nothing would change.


    And of course, speaking of the devil himself, he was in a room next to one I was enjoying, sharpening his fucking tools and pretending to be a big boy.


    I knew we had to deal with the fucker years ago, but then, Bane had lost all hope in ever ridding himself of the parasite, and look where it got us.


    "Are you done ying around with your dolls, Barbara? I don''t think I can take any longer without seeing your beautiful face. Just looking into those empty, utterly terrifying eyes makes me so happy, I could pee myself like a dog," I called out, loud enough for him to hear me.


    In fact, I was so loud even the guards at the end of the hall heard my words and startedughing. I guess this was the only entertainment they got here, especially with the Alpha being overtaken by the wonderful fucking beast leech. "Don''t get your panties in a twist, darling, I''ming home soon," he called back, clearly trying his best to sound like my words didn''t bother him.


    This was far from the first time he had visited me in the cells and it seemed like he tried his best to sound like someone from our time. Usually, he didn''t bother using too many words, especially unnecessary ones, but this change in behavior made me suspicious.


    Was he nning to take over for good? That still was a risk we faced, definitely something I feared. Not that I would ever admit that out loud, of course.


    "So strike me lightning, it talks!" I called out to push his buttons.


    My attempt worked because a momentter, the door to my cell opened and the star of the show stepped inside. His eyes, as always, empty and cold, paired with that weird smirk made him look so damn sinister, shivers ran down my spine. I hated this. I really did, but over the few times he had decided toe here, I learned one very valuable lesson - the sooner he started with his games, the sooner they ended. That was all I needed, a quick torture session and then, a couple of hours to rest and heal.


    "Whatcha bring me this time? A knife? Maybe a hammer? A baseball bat?" I named the things he had already used on me and faked a gasp, "don''t tell me you''re treating me like a naughty little princess today, and actually brought a chainsaw."


    He rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer my questions. I guess he didn''t feel like entertaining me anymore.


    As my eyes followed him step closer to me, I gulped. Not because I feared what he could do but because I fucking feared the very thing he clearly was nning to do. He held a syringe.


    "Aren''t you going a little too far with this game, Sally?" I asked, faking ignorance.


    The corner of his lip twitched as he took another step closer to me. "I could have sworn it was Barbara just minutes ago and you''re already desperate enough to give me another name? How so?"


    I shrugged. "Thought that one suits you better now. When you''re hiding away from the insane love we share, you look like Barbara - the woman of the shadows, barely noticeable on the streets. In other words, a whore. But now, with that smirk on your face, you look like my university friend Sally. She was a crackhead, kind of like you are too." I grinned as soon as thest word left my lips.


    Funny how pissy he got every time I said something I thought. So much so that I registered that he was trying to p me only when it was toote. Correction - he didn''t just try, he actually bitch pped me across my face. "Damn it, you even fight like a girl," I had to add.


    While onlookers might think I was losing my mind - I really wasn''t. I kept acting like a dick for a reason. For as long as I did, Bane knew the fucker who held him hostage hadn''t broken me. I was still here, body and soul, still on his side whenever he would be ready to fight again.


    "Let''s see if you''re enjoying yourself just as much when you have silver flooding your veins. It burns you. Bad. Inside out. Trust me on this one, Beta, I''ve been there. But I must say," he chuckled as he raised the hand with the damn syringe. "It will be way worse on you than it was on me. If your precious little best friend was here, he would tell you the same. It just so happens that silver works way better on bodies with flesh and blood than on spirits. Funny, isn''t it?"


    By now, my jaw literally hit the floor. I couldn''t focus on anything but the possibilities ahead of me. How could he do this? Scratch that, the fucker didn''t care about anyone but himself.


    His out of control behavior seriously raised many red gs in my mind. I couldn''t understand why he was so hell bent on finding Aife. He didn''t love her, definitely not like Bane did so why did he need her?


    And then, was I willing to kiss my life goodbye for loyalty? Was I willing to miss out on the life of my own child just to protect someone''s else''s life?


    No matter how much I wanted to be selfish, if only for once, I knew I had to do the right thing. K did too. And if I died, one day, my baby would learn that his father wasn''t a fucking coward and stood by what was right even though he had to pay with his life.


    "But," the moron dragged, pulling me out of my thoughts. "If you smarten up and stop acting like a fussy virgin chick and tell me where you''re hiding her, I might spare your life. After all, your mate really wants you home. I heard her mention pregnancy, wouldn''t you want to see your pup grow inside her, be born and live? Are you giving up on all that just for the sake of someone else? Do you think the favor would be returned if the tables turned?"


    Looking up and meeting his gaze, I saw nothing but hate and mockery. Forcing a smile was nearly painful, but I managed to do that just before I spoke up. "If she were in my ce, she would withstand things far worse than everything you''ve done to me to protect me. If I must, I will take that secret to my grave."


    And with those words, I spat in his face seconds before he thrust the needle in my neck.

 11: I couldn’t do it.

    **Aife


    pov**


    We ran for hours. Every snap of the branch and sound sent me into a state of panic I had never known. Before this escape, I had never felt such feral fear surging through me. Even when I tried to escape Bane.. Yes, I was scared shitless, but not like this.


    The feeling I had eating me from the inside now was raw and ugly. If it weren''t for Clove running, I could bet that my muscles would have locked up already and frozen me on the spot. I couldn''t do this without her, that much was clear.


    *"Oh, shush, stop putting yourself down. You''re more than that, way more, Aife. And for the record - if it weren''t for me, you would still get out of that madhouse one way or another. I know you, I''ve watched you, and while you don''t have the ability to admit this to yourself, I can help a little - you are a strong one. Way stronger than you think. You went to hell and came back stronger. Instead of fearing or fighting your demons, you ride with them. Now, if that isn''t admirable, I don''t know what it is."*


    Her words made me feel warm inside. Besides Bane, no one had ever been talking about me so highly. Wasn''t it a little pathetic? The man who kidnapped and broke me was the man who showed me the most kindness and remorse. "Thank you," I muttered, barely holding back the tears.


    If Clove was serious about watching me all those years, she knew more about my life than I was willing to share. She knew the deepest, darkest secrets, the pain and misery. She knew it all, she watched me break and attempt to put myself together times and times again.


    Honestly, if it was me who was asked what or how I was, I would never use words as kind as Clove did. I could find more faults within myself than positives.


    "I''m very grateful to have you. I know this sounds cheesy, but I''m extremely thankful to finally have someone as my best friend. Someone, who will never leave me and will always remain by my side. I didn''t dare to dream of this happening. Ever." I choked on my own words.


    The reality was that I might have sounded pathetic, but I needed to get it all out. I needed her to understand how important she was to me and at this point, the wolf was my lifeline. Without her, I wouldn''t get out of there so soon and would risk the life of our pup.


    *"I think it''s best if we rest a little. As much as I enjoy myself running and chasing the small forest animals, my paws are on fire. Do you want to remain like this or do you prefer to shift back to your body? Don''t worry, there''s not a soul around us, no one will see you and if I''m wrong, the shift won''t take longer than a second. I''m here to introduce everyone to my ws and canines if needed."* She chuckled as amusement oozed from her words.


    "I wouldn''t mind stretching my legs and having a quick snack," I replied.


    Just how easy the shift was earlier, it was now. In a matter of a second, I stood up and stretched my body before I untied the tote bag and got dressed. As soon as I did, I grabbed an apple and showed the other bag inside the tote.


    Unlike me, Clove paid more attention to our surroundings and managed to snatch a stic bag with women''s clothes on our way out of the territory. She had no idea how thankful I was for an extra set of clothes to change whenever needed.


    Sitting down on a rock, I scanned our surroundings and bit down on the apple. "What now? Do we have any idea what we will do next? Oh, and won''t they feel that we left or something? I think I can recall something my father mentioned about pack links."


    Clove snorted out augh. *"Thankfully, we don''t have to worry about the pack link."*


    I frowned and arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Why don''t we?"


    She hummed, as if deep in thought and then, the image of her wolfish grin shed in my mind. "We don''t belong to that pack, so no one feels how wee or go. After the pack you belonged to was ughtered and you were taken away from there, the link broke. You were out of it, that''s why you didn''t feel the pain and the overwhelming sense of loss. Ever since, I couldn''t say you are a pack wolf."*


    Her words stung a little. If not a pack wolf, where did I belong then? Wolves were creatures of habit and closedmunities, we preferred to stay around our packs, and hold onto our territories.


    *"You, my darling, you are a lone wolf now. You have been for a while. We are our own pack."* Clove announced, sounding so proud, I almost teared up.


    I kind of liked how she said it. Even more, I enjoyed how she stressed that we were our own pack, not me, not her - we.


    I slowly chewed thest bite of the apple and tossed the leftover away, feeling surprisingly full. Clove had found a beautiful clearing with various types of wildflowers and some small insects buzzing around. Not many knew this, but for as long as you could hear the forest life around you - you were safe.


    The whole ce stilled and went unusually quiet only when there was a predator nearby.


    As my thoughts went down that rabbit hole, Cloveughed. *"You are the predator, Aife."*


    A giggle left me. "Not now. Right now, I''m just a woman, sitting in the middle of the forest, enjoying my alone time. For all we know, if anyone runs into us, they could think I got lost or something. The real predator is you, my lovely Clove. The breathtaking wolf with the soft, brown fur that looks like silk under the sunlight and eyes as deep as ocean - the magnificent animal, created to hunt and kill."


    *"Point made," she chuckled and suddenly, nothing but the slight buzzing of the forest and afortable silence surrounded us.


    Prior to this, I could count on my fingers how many times any type of silence had made me feel thisfortable. It was the soothing kind, one I often experienced whileying on Bane''s chest and just listening to his heartbeat. Goddess, I missed him like crazy. Just a brief moment in passing would do, even if that was thest thing I could get from him. I just really, really wanted him here. Bane would know what to do, he would fight for us, for our baby.


    But he didn''t know about the baby.. There was no way for him to know. And now, because of the selfishness of someone I had trusted and loved my entire life, I had to leave the ce where he could find me. How was he supposed to get to me?


    *"Mate will find you. Even if it takes years, he will. Mate bond is a beautiful thing, my precious human, it''s unbreakable. Those who im you can break one are liars. There''s no breaking the link between the souls drawn by the Goddess. She will guide him to you. We can''t give up. Until hees, we''re on our own."*

 12: The price you pay.

    **Killian


    pov**


    If fate wasn''t fucking with me, I didn''t know what it was doing. It wasn''t just testing me, it was tossing me into mud and holding its foot on my back to watch me attempt to get out, and fail every time I do.


    Just as the Goddess finally had my fucking back, I had to leave the damn pack. Okay, when I left, I didn''t know about the blessing that was about to be given to me, it actually happened the day after I left. From what my pack members told me - a sleek, ck car was parked in front of the pack house. Everyone gathered outside, watching with interest as the driver refused to exit the car. He growled and snarled at people, eyeing everyone with nothing but suspicion.


    At first, they didn''t know what was happening. Why would anyone visit us if they refused to exin the reason for their sudden arrival?


    Although I had heard what happened, not actually witnessed it, I could imagine the scene perfectly. As they said, after what felt like hours, the driver finally got out of the car. He red at everyone as a low, rumbling growl came from him every time he exhaled.


    Then, he pointed his finger at everyone and snarled, "Goddess be my witness, if any of you low-life fuckers hurt my Luna, I will personally make sure the price you pay is one you can''t afford. Painfully so."


    After the threat, he had walked around the car and opened the door for a woman, who was described by the pack members as an embodiment of an angel. So stunning that she took everyone''s breath.


    I didn''t need more information to know it was my future wife they described. I absolutely hated the fact that one of Bane''s assassins called her his Luna, but I was willing to ignore it for as long as she stayed in my home. Our home. Finally, fucking finally everything was falling in its ces. My patience had paid off.


    But of course, there also had to be some goddamn obstacles in my way, because would it be my life if there weren''t any?


    Just when I was so close to getting what I had wanted, I was far away, had been for months, but somehow I survived the distance, telling myself this was thest time we would be apart.


    Every day since then, I had called her father and Milly, asking questions, getting to know my future wife from afar and slowly growing closer even if she had no idea about it. My n was to learn as much about her as I could and create the perfect man for her. Thankfully, it didn''t seem like I had to change too much.


    Now, all the pleasant and not so pleasant things aside, today, I was getting restless. I was on my way home, burning with desire to see her, but her father and Milly didn''t answer the countless calls.


    Usually, they never wasted time, never let me ring for too long, but now, I had left so many voicemails, my head was spinning.


    "Alpha? Is everything okay?" Jonathan, my driver, frowned as he nced at me in the rearview mirror.


    "No, I believe everything isn''t okay, Jonathan. The old man isn''t answering my calls and neither is his daughter. I have a feeling something is going on and they''re trying to hide it from me," I grumbled, pressing the call button again. Jonathan hummed, processing my words. Once he heard the groan of annoyance that left me yet again, he offered me a knowing nce. "How about I call someone from the pack? If something bad happened, they will likely try to get rid of the problem before your arrival and ignore the phone calls from you, Alpha."


    I liked his way of thinking. Jonathan had always been the problem solver, hence why I chose him as my driver. Whenever I had to leave the pack - there weren''t that many people I could put my trust in, but I could in him. "Sounds.. Fair," I trailed off, ncing out the car window as Jonathan navigated the car into the forest. I had told everyone I will return home in a week, but decided to cut the trip short now that the business was handled and there was no point for me to stay in the countless parties with other business partners.


    I didn''t look at Jonathan as he tapped the screen on the car console and the speakers red with the call signal. It didn''t take long for someone to pick up, but both of us instantly tensed, hearing the panic in the voiceing through those speakers.


    "Jonny, my boy, how''s it doing?" A man chuckled. It took me a while to understand who Jonathan had decided to call until I almost pped myself for being this stupid. Of course, he called his father, Jonathan senior.


    "Hey, dad. I''m doing fine. How are you? How''s mom? I miss you guys," Jonathan sounded genuine, surelybining the necessary with pleasant by calling his father.


    A tense silence stretched out until the old man cleared his throat. "Listen, by any means, is Alpha with you or somewhere around?"


    Jonathan nced at me in the mirror again and held eye contact for no longer than a second before he answered, "no, dad, I''m out to grab him some stuff before we pack up and head home. I''m pretty bored driving around, doing nothing, so I thought it would be nice to hear your voice."


    The old man chuckled. "You''ve always been such a great son, Jonny."


    Another moment of silence, but this one stretched out until I got a bad feeling in my gut. So damn bad that I couldn''t shake it off.


    "Dad, what''s going on? You don''t sound like yourself and it''s very unlikely of you to check if Alpha is anywhere around me. Did something happen back home?" Jonathan broke the silence, sounding like a genuinely worried son, which in a way I was sure he was.


    Silence. Again that fucking silence. I was so done with the tense pauses in this conversation that I nearly blew up, ruining our chances to find out what everyone was trying to hide.


    Thankfully, the old man spoke up before I had a chance to open my mouth and demand answers. "Jonny, we''re fucked. So bad, my boy, I fear what will happen if we don''t find her." He whispered. I could hear him walking around somewhere, opening and closing doors as if he was seeking a more private space to continue this conversation.


    "Don''t find who?" Jonathan asked, pulling my attention back to what was truly important.


    "The girl, son. The pretty kind girl that arrived months ago. The same girl that is rumored to be our Alpha''s future wife," he whispered.


    Tension rose as I pulled my hands into tight fists, barely holding myself back from doing anything stupid.


    "What really is happening over there, dad? Shit, Alpha won''t like this a bit," Jonathan hissed, being the amazing actor he had to y now.


    "She ran," the old man sighed, clearly disappointed. "It''s a pity, she was so kind to all of us, everyone around the pack hoped this wedding would happen. She would be so good for our Alpha, he deserves happiness, son." While I was pissed off beyond imagination, I couldn''t deny that those words warmed me. If only a little, given the circumstances. My pack was worried about my well-being and happiness..


    "But why did she run? From what I heard, she didn''t look like a runner. No one mentioned flight risk," Jonathan hissed.


    "I think it''s because of Milly and that old man. I don''t have too much information, everyone''s running around like headless chicken and while some have information, it''s not much. I can try to ask around for you, but I can''t promise much." "Okay, dad, that''s already a lot," Jonathan muttered. "But why do you think she ran because of Milly and the old man? I wouldn''t want to be the one to throw baseless usations at anyone, you know."


    "Yeah, I raised you to be a good and fair man, Jonny, I know you wouldn''t," he chuckled. "I just overheard the servants talk about a heated discussion Milly had with her father in the living room. From what they overheard it was about money and selling the poor girl off as a breeding machine or some bullshit like that. I know it''s not my ce to say anything, but if that is true and the girl overheard that conversation - I can''t say I''m surprised she ran."

 13: Skin the rabbits.

    **Aife pov**


    At some point, I fell asleep in the clearing. Clove remained as aware as ever, ensuring nothing signaled danger, so I slept like a baby.


    I knew it was a little foolish, but I couldn''t stop beaming, knowing she had my back even when I slept. I felt sofortable, warm and safe.. Heaven.


    Once I woke up, Clove urged me to strip and hide my tote in a tree. She was dying for a run and a chance to hunt since she had been watching rabbits hopping around for hours already.


    Chuckling, I scanned the surroundings quickly and followed her demands. As soon as I hung the bag on a branch, Clove took over and ran off.


    She truly was a magnificent, powerful creature. One of a kind. Somehow, she managed to shift so fast, I didn''t get enough time to blink when the shift was already done and her speed was mind blowing. In no time, she had caught three rabbits and snagged the fourth one to devour it uncooked.


    Honestly, I kind of cringed at that, but decided to keep myments to myself. After all, she caught the food for me. As soon as we returned to the clearing, which she proudly called our camp now, Clove handed me the control to shift back. *"Listen, I think it''s best if you let me control your body to skin and gut the rabbits. I have a feeling you wouldn''t enjoy the process, so how does that sound?"* She offered.


    I frowned as I pulled my pants to my waist. "Is that something you can do?"


    I hadn''t heard of this before. We, werewolves, shared our bodies for most part, but no one spoke about the soul using the other body. She had hers and I had mine, not the other way around.


    *"Pretty sure everyone can do it. That''s how I could hear the sounds while you slept and saw the rabbits - you were out and I used your body. Sounds wrong, right? Let''s stick to the fact I didn''t do anything illegal or nasty while you slept."*


    Her words made meugh. At this point, she might have robbed a bank and I would be the most unaware person ever.


    "Okay. I really don''t want to skin an animal," I agreed as relief flooded me.


    I grew up eating meat, loads of it, but I never had to hunt to survive, so I didn''t know what I was supposed to do. At least, I had Clove with me and she seemed very knowledgeable about the process.


    My stomach made a sound and I cringed, wondering why would it, if Clove just stuffed it with a whole rabbit. As my thoughts traveled down there, in a ce I didn''t want to be, I failed to notice how silent Clove had be all of a sudden. After a while of looking at the dead animals and waiting for her to do something, control my body or whatever, I realized the silence had stretched out.


    "Clove?" I called her name, a little louder than I intended.


    *¡°Shh, listen. Can you hear that, Aife?"* Clove whispered.


    I had no idea why she had to whisper as only I could hear her voice, but the tone she used set me off. Something was wrong, had to be.


    Just as the veil of dread fell over me, my heart started hammering in my chest like a hoard of wild stallions, so loud the sound not only rang in my ears but also echoed in my mind.


    I tried to notice anything out of ce, but all Clove did was repeat the same word over and over again, *"listen."*


    "Listen to what? All I hear is my heart because I''m seriously freaking out right here. Tell me what''s wrong," I called out to her.


    *"Just try to listen, nothing''s wrong. Listen," she choked on a sob.


    I didn''t understand it at first, but Clove wasn''t freaking out. Her tears were those of happiness and the sobs gave out how overwhelmed she was.


    Sucking in a deep, calming breath, I closed my eyes and listened. At first, I heard the same thing - my heart, racing in my chest, but soon, I caught something more. It almost sounded like my heart had lost the rhythm and pace. But it wasn''t that either.


    It was another heartbeat. Not as loud or wild as mine, but just as strong.


    Tears welled in my eyes as I ced my shaking hand on my belly, sucking in another breath. "Is that?" I whispered, never needing to finish the question for Clove to understand me.


    *"Yes," she sobbed. *"The heartbeat of our pup is a strong one, we are carrying an extremely powerful future Alpha, Aife. I can feel it, our pup is meant for greatness."*


    A sense of happiness filled me. A happiness I didn''t know existed, far greater than anything I had felt before. I felt full,cking nothing, as if I was right where I had to be.


    Funny how I never thought about bing a mother. So many girls in my old pack gushed about the day they would find their mates and have families, but I never shared the sentiment.


    Now, standing in the middle of the forest while my life had crumbled down, burned to ashes, I found a new perspective on life. Everything happened for a reason. This baby was a gift from the above, a true blessing, a proof of undying love, not a misfortune.


    *"We need to snap out of this. Need to skin the rabbits,"* Clove muttered, ruining the moment we just shared.


    I couldn''t help butugh at her attempt to distract me. Just as easy as everything with her today, I closed my eyes and rxed as she took over, pushing my consciousness to the back of my mind. Paying no attention to what she was doing, I focused my thoughts on the baby that was growing inside me. As surprising as the news came, I was happy. And I knew Bane would be happy too if he knew.


    Sure, he was a little rough around the edges, but behind the hardened exterior was a calm, loving and very caring man. That side of him wasn''t meant for everyone to see, it was special, hidden from the onlookers that wished him ill.


    By the time Clove pushed me back on the surface, giving up the control, she had managed to set up a campfire and made me afortable spot to sit down while the meat was already cooking over the fire.


    *"I couldn''t find any good spices for this, so you''ll have to live with what I can offer,"* she muttered as I sat down and reached out to turn the meat so it would cook fully, not burn from one side and remain raw on the other. "I don''t mind. Thank you. You''ve already done more than I could ask for," I muttered, grinning like a fool.


    *"Ah, don''t mention it,"* she waved me off and all over again, we enjoyed thefortable silence.


    If this was the first look at how my life would be if we remained hidden in the woods, I didn''t mind it. Sure, worse days mighte with many storms and sun that wouldn''t be nearly as bright as it was today, but we could build a little house and learn how to survive without any need for modern society.


    Lone wolves weren''t that umon and they didn''t mind living out in the wild, just them and their wolves.


    As I rxed and slowly pondered the thought, Clove growled. The hair on my body stood upright as shivers ran down my spine. She was raising too many rm bells in my mind. Okay, maybe life in the woods wouldn''t be that great after all. *"A man. Stranger. Approaching us. Holding hands up in surrender, I think he''s showing he is no harm to us, but just in case, hold onto that bag. We might have to shift and run, I wouldn''t want you to lose thest set of clothes because we''ll rip the ones you''re wearing during the shift. Stay alert, Aife."*

 14: Keep this a secret.

    **Killian


    pov**


    The phone callsted for a while. All I did was remain silent and listen. My calls, messages and voicemails still were ignored, so I stopped sending more.


    For now, I would allow Milly and her father to burn in fear for what would happen if my bride had not returned by the time I was back home. Best of all, I wasn''t that far away from the pack to give them enough time toe up with another stupid excuse.


    I couldn''t believe everything I was hearing, but most of all, the ''breeding machine''ment. I wanted children, yes, loads of them, but I never mentioned that I would take in a woman to make her my breeder. That was messed up, even for


    me.


    "Please don''t tell this to Alpha, son. The whole pack is in panic, they''re turning the territory upside down looking for her, it''s really not my fault. I''m scared to think what Alpha might do to us after he finds out what happened," the old man sobbed, clearly deep in his feelings and fears.


    Jonathan threw another quick nce in the rearview mirror to check my reaction and sighed. "I will have to tell him everything, dad. You know we can''t keep secrets from Alpha. But, on the bright side, I think he won''t flip his shit. Our Alpha is a fair and understanding man, he targets only those who are at fault so the pack definitely shouldn''t worry." Jonathan spoke my mind.


    We had spent so much time together that he didn''t have an issue reading me. Thankfully, I didn''t have to make myself known because of that, otherwise his father might have a heart attack.


    "Listen, dad, I need to go now but I promise to call back in a few hours. I''ll talk to Alpha and calm him down before he does something he might regret, yea? Just sit down and rest, make sure mom is okay and if the others want to run around like their asses are on fire to cover for someone who isn''t even our friend - let them."


    I liked his approach, straight forward and no bullshit at all. That was one of the reasons why I chose Jonathan as a person of trust. He knew how to approach every situation without freaking out, so his presence actually calmed me. "Promise? I wouldn''t want innocent to suffer," the old man muttered, reluctant to end the call.


    "I promise. Trust me dad, I know Alpha, I know the man he is. Raging and punishing innocent bystanders isn''t in his nature. Now, calm down and rest. Can you promise me that?" ncing at the mirror, I saw an amusement dance in Jonathan''s eyes. He knew something? My driver was so adamant to end this call, surely he had something on his mind.


    As soon as the line disconnected, he took a sharp turn off the main forest road and grinned. "Hold on, Alpha, we''re taking a detour. I just noticed something of interest."


    Frowning, I allowed him to make the decision. For once, I wanted someone else to take the damn control and let me rest a little too. There was too much on my shoulders already, I couldn''t be the strong one when I was breaking. After a couple of minutes, Jonathan pulled the car off the narrow road and killed the engine. Then, he stepped outside and opened the door for me, taking the extra step of offering me his hand as if I was a woman and he was ying the role of a gentleman.


    "Alpha?" He grinned, still holding out his hand.


    Laughing, I decided to y along. Whatever it was, I needed a goodugh, so I grabbed his hand and let Jonathan pull me out of the car. He stood a little closer than usual and then spun me towards a direction.


    At first, I couldn''t figure out what he wanted or where I was supposed to be. Again, Jonathan was too close this time, instead of stepping aside, he ced his hand on the small of my back and pointed his finger at something. "There," he whispered, impossibly close to my ear.


    This had to be the weirdest thing I had ever experienced. What was this? Some shitty highschool rom?


    "Where? I don''t see anything," I huffed, a little ufortable with the closeness.


    Jonathan had never acted like this, never been this weirdly touchy and always respected my personal space. I guess everything happened for the first time and for some odd reason, he felt like being close? What the fuck? "Look carefully and tell me what you see, right where I''m pointing my finger at. I know your vision is good, you should see it," he whispered, seemingly even closer. So close that his goddamn lips brushed my ear as if he was some kind of


    casanova.


    Alrighty, now I was so fucking ufortable that my skin felt like it was crawling. This behavior was so out of character for Jonathan that I didn''t know what to think.


    But s, instead of confronting him, I decided to focus on what he was trying to show me. The longer I looked, the more frustrated I grew. I couldn''t see shit. Until..


    Until I noticed the faint trail of smoke in the distance. This forest was basically nothing but a sanctuary for wildlife, so there was no way a camper got lost and decided to sit down and chill. No one was allowed in these woods because of the few endangered species that lived here.


    "Shit," I hissed, both pissed at the possibility that it was a fucking camper and a little excited that it could be her. What would be the odds for me to run into her after she escaped just a whileter?


    "There, you see it too," Jonathan whispered, hesitantly stepping aside and removing his hand from me.


    I looked at him and grinned, instantly pping a hand on his shoulder. "Jonathan, you''re a genius. Thank you, pal, I appreciate this!"


    He flinched at the nickname, but quickly masked the reaction with a forced smile and a sharp nod. Weird, he definitely was acting weird.


    "Go, Alpha. It might be her, so don''t waste any time with me," he muttered, looking pained.


    Making a mental note, I promised myself to have a private talk with Jonathanter. Something was seriously bugging him and I would be a terrible Alpha, even worse friend if I didn''t try to help him.


    Pulling him into a quick hug, I thanked him again and then took off, leaving him behind still hearing his promise to wait for my return, alone or not.


    A slight smile tugged at my lips as I walked in the direction of smoke. When it got a little thicker, I raised my hands to show I was no threat and approached with no ill intentions. If it was my future wife who camped here in the woods, she would see me from afar.


    Getting even closer, I couldn''t hear any movement, so at least no one was trying to run. I took that as a good sign and kept moving forward only to reach the camp and stand face to face with a massive, angry-looking wolf.


    The animal was breathtaking. Those deep, blue eyes paired with brown fur that I was dying to touch made it look just as beautiful as threatening. And while the aura that surrounded the animal was all-consuming, what caught me off guard the most was the sheer size of the wolf.


    As an Alpha, I myself had a wolf that towered over others and I had met many just asrge wolves, but never onerger than mine. I just stood frozen on the spot, my hands still raised in surrender.


    Under different circumstances, I would have shifted and forced the wolf to submit, but this was no regr situation. The wolf was young, maybe a couple of months, and going against one as young was a stupid idea. Especially since the wolf would only keep growing and the youngsters were known to hold grudges.


    Today wasn''t the day I signed my death certificate. Today was the day I let someone else lead.

 15: It’s not true.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Soon after Clove alerted me about someone getting closer, I noticed that. The snapping of the branches and heavy steps nearing us. I couldn''t see the personing closer as Clove had said, but I knew it wasn''t a joke. Quickly, I stripped and forced the clothes inside the tote, waiting on her to shift.


    *"What are you doing?" She asked, confused.


    "Letting you shift without ruining the little clothes we have. Come on, it''s not like we have enough time to stand around naked, shift," I hissed under my breath.


    *"What, now?"* Clove gasped, looking around us, scanning the surroundings to check if the person had gotten close enough to see me.


    "Yes, I''d rather have you face whoever ising than risk them seeing my face," I spoke, a little more panicked than earlier.


    *"Makes sense," she muttered and took over.


    Now, in our wolf form, all I could do was sit back and watch whatever was about to unfold. Soon after, the stranger approached us, his hands still held up in surrounder.


    I could have sworn I knew him from somewhere. Surely, we had met before. Just.. I couldn''t quite tell who this man was. Also, since he just stood there,pletely mute and shell-shocked, it wasn''t like he could tell me who he was. "Wow," he finally broke out of his haze, still looking at Clove,pletely amazed.


    In return, my beautiful wolf offered a deep, threatening growl and bared her teeth at him. It was a warning, enough for him to take a step back.


    "Shh, I didn''te here to hurt you. I just noticed the smoke and decided to check if anyone''s here as this forest is technically unavable for the masses. Protected species live here and we try our best to ensure some crazies won''te around and harm the animals," he exined, taking a step back.


    Clove tilted her head and sat down to watch him. She was very aware of the situation and didn''t let her guard down, listening into the sounds of our surroundings. For all we knew, this could be an ambush and someone might attack us while we weren''t paying attention.


    "May I please ask something?" He asked, voice calm and steady.


    Clove growled again but nodded, letting him know he could speak. He had to be another werewolf if he spoke to a wolf like this. The only issue was that I couldn''t catch even a hint of his smell or grasp his aura. I wondered why. "Don''t take me the wrong way, please, I won''t force her to return, but do you happen to be the wolf of a woman named Aife?"


    My heart leaped up to my throat. Fuck, they found me so fast.


    Clove, sensing my fear, growled even louder, showing off the razor-sharp canines.


    The man threw his hands up again and shook his head. "I won''t force her to return, just like I said. I just want the answer and if it happens to be that I''m right, I have a proposition."


    *"What do you think? Should we hear him out?"* Clove whispered,pletely ignoring the fact that he couldn''t hear her speak.


    Scratch that, he couldn''t hear me too.


    As she kept her gaze on him, I slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together until the realization dawned on me. The man in front of us was Killian, the same Alpha Killian that I was supposed to be a breeding machine to. Clove, hearing my thoughts, almost attacked him. I had to give him credit - he wasn''t as stupid as everyone thought he was.


    "Whatever you heard, it''s not true. I managed to grasp at some straws of information, but clearly since I wasn''t there, I can''t know for sure. I never intended to buy you as my personal breeder, Aife." Killian stressed, taking another step back. "Yes, there was an agreement with your father about the marriage and the money we agreed upon was what he said was the bridal price. He imed it was a tradition in the family, so I agreed. But just to set the record straight - I mentioned wanting many children, but never said anything about breeders. If I wanted one, I would pick one from my pack, I have plenty of willing women around me as it is."


    Maybe I was far too trusting, but he did have a point. If he needed a bunch of kiddos just for the sake of having them, he could have gotten hundreds of women pregnant already. She-wolves always felt honored to carry their Alpha''s pups, in a rtionship with the man or not.


    *"I think we should hear him out."* The same as me, Clove decided it was better to get the full picture of the situation rather than relying on the little bits we had gotten.


    Slowly, she grabbed the bag with her teeth and walked around the tree to quickly shift back. "Turn around and don''t look. She will know if you tried to peek, creep," I hissed as I started getting dressed.


    A deep chuckle left him, but I heard movement and assumed he was listening. When I was done getting dressed, I walked back and faced him, ring just in case he thought I was no threat.


    "One wrong word and she''s back. She craves blood and I won''t stand in her way, especially if whatever she wants is right before her eyes," I snarled.


    Perhaps I didn''t sound threatening, but I hoped I did.


    "Alpha Killian," he said and offered me his hand. I looked down and then back at his face, refusing to ept his gesture. "I thought it would be nice to properly introduce myself before we sit down to talk," he exined.


    "Aife," I grumbled.


    Killian''s face broke out in a wide grin, "oh, I know."


    "Get to talking, we don''t have time to waste," I pushed him to do what he imed he wanted to.


    Killian looked ufortable as he brought his hand to the back of his neck and scratched it. "The whole pack is freaking out as we speak. But I must wonder how the hell did you get this far that fast? We''re what, a good two hours drive from my pack?"


    I rolled my eyes. "Why does it matter? I think the fact I left your territory speaks volumes about how much I care about whatever is happening in your pack."


    I couldn''t help but feel bitter. We didn''t know each other, we weren''t friends and it wasn''t like we ever spoke to each other either. We were strangers and I didn''t want to break the magic of that word.


    "Fair. Seems like you''re not one to drag out the conversations. So," he pped his hands on his thighs and sat on the lodge. "So, we could discuss the offer I want to give you."


    "An offer?" I raised an eyebrow. What could this man offer me? Unless it was the chance for me to escape the wedding and breeder duties, I didn''t want to hear what it was.


    Killian grinned and wiggled his eyebrows like some low-budget viin. "How would you feel about a chance to enjoy some payback? To be more specific - payback to your father and sister?"


    "Wait, what? I think I didn''t hear you correctly," I gasped, taking a step closer to prove my point. "Did you just offer me to go against my father and sister? For the record, just because we''re supposed to be rted doesn''t mean we are close. This so-called sister never cared about me, so why should I care about her?"


    "I don''t know," Killian shrugged. "I just thought you would enjoy watching them finally receive the karma they have earned. From a safe distance, of course. I couldn''t let them think you returned."

 16: Look at me.

    **Bane


    pov**


    He stood in front of the mirror and grinned back at me. This was a new approach of torture he had foundtely. Because driving away the love of my life and hurting my friends wasn''t enough, of course. The dark circles under my eyes had doubled in size, I had lost even more weight and my skin didn''t look like that of a living man. Slowly, he was sucking the life out of me and the fucker enjoyed it. "Bane, Bane, Bane," he dragged my name, making it sound disgusting. So much so that my skin was crawling.


    I had to tighten my jaw and grit my teeth to withstand not only looking at what I had be but also listening to him.


    While a part of me understood that I sounded like a whiny baby, I couldn''t help it. The hate, anger and resentment that grew more in size within me every day was choking me. Why did this shit have to happen to me? What had I done to deserve it? Be born? Fucking bullshit.


    "Oh, you poor baby, don''t start the pity party without me just yet. We have things to do, people to hurt and rumors to spread today. Chin up, champ, the future is looking brighter now that I can guide your lovesick mind in the right direction. Actually, you should be worshiping and praising me. Look at me, doing everything you couldn''t."


    Every time he had a chance, he mocked me. He took great pleasure in making me feel like shit, and these days, he did it in front of the mirror so I was forced to look at myself as my voice spoke words I didn''t mean.


    In a way, he was doing a great job. The more he repeated the words, the easier it was for me to believe in everything that left his filthy mouth.


    "Honestly, I must admit, you managed to surprise me. Of all the Alphas I had gued, I expected the most from you. The superior one with a great purpose turned out to be the weak link of the bloodline." Heughed, shaking my head like a lunatic.


    The hum that followed his words sent shivers down my spine. It was a sound of thinking, one that came only before he was about to tell me everything he nned to do to me and whoever stood in his way.


    "Bane, son," he chuckled. "Ah, I like the way this word tastes on the tip of my tongue. Anyway, don''t you think it''s about time for you to settle down? How about choosing a woman who is worth your time and title? We have a few good ones dropped at the rejects housing. You need an heir."


    Somehow, I managed to hiss at him. "I already had the perfect woman, but look at what your crazy ass fucking did! You drove her away, you took her away from me!" Each word echoed in my own mind so loud, it gave me a headache, but I didn''t care. Not anymore.


    Theughter that supposedly left me, or had I say my mouth, was cold and calcted. It echoed against the walls and came back striking me with twice as much force.


    "Nonsense. The longer you feed yourself those lies, the more it will mess you up. You are the one who will end up hurting. Be a smart boy and listen to what I say. You should have listened a long time ago, but I suppose I let you run around wild for too long. Be grateful, prick, I never allowed anyone to push me as far as you did."


    I didn''t bother to acknowledge his words. For most part, he seemed to up his attitude if he didn''t get any acknowledgements from others. Talk about being an attention whore to the max.


    "I should have killed you while I had a chance. Funny how even the best of the best make mistakes, right? My first mistake was to let you live. But don''t worry, I will make sure I don''t make stupid mistakes like that anymore. Who knows, maybe I should break the curse myself and stop the bloodline with the weakest of the links and drop it all." Heughed.


    At this point, I wasn''t sure what exactly he was getting from this weak emotional torment. Like, seriously, what was the point in breaking mepletely?


    There was a chance he hoped he could take over my body for good and im it as his, but that wouldn''t work in his advantage for too long. Without a vessel that provided him life power, he was useless. Perhaps that was why I had given up on trying. If I was gone, he was too.


    By letting him y around, I would rid the world of someone so evil, everything would get better with a snap of fingers. I just had to figure out how to make the process faster so the pack had enough time to save my best friend.


    Fuck, Zion was in the cells, suffering the same torture I did in the High Council cells. I couldn''t wish that pain on my worst enemies and even more on my best friend. It was all my fucking fault.


    "That''s right, Bane," his voice broke the silence in the office. "Look at the mirror, look into your eyes and ept the fact - it is your fault. It is your inability to step up and be the man your pack needed you to be that led you here. That led your best friend in the cells, enjoying the silver coursing through his veins. Speaking of which," he sounded too amused as he nced at the clock, "he''s running out of time."


    Was all of this a fucking game for him? Just running around, acting like a goddamn demon that took over bodies just to hurt everyone at his reach, hoping he could burn the skies?


    "I do enjoy myself, quite a lot, but not to the fullest yet. For that, I need to tell some lies and blow them out of proportion. I need them to talk," he whispered thest part and looked at the mirror. The grin that grew on my lips was so wide, it nearly split my face and made me look all sorts of inhuman. Seriously, this guy had a thing about making me look likeplete shit.


    As I had so often, I couldn''t decide what would be better - to ignore his words or pry for more. I had given up so many times already, I wasn''t sure if I had the strength to get up again and fight him.


    The more time I wasted thinking, the lower I sunk. At this point, I had to adapt the attitude I had preferred for years - once shit went down, I confronted it without thinking.


    So, I just cleared my throat and actually looked into those void eyes. "You need them to talk about what? Don''t be a coward andy it all out, let me know what you are nning. Who knows, maybe I will even be a little impressed by your abilities. But I doubt it. You''ve been all bark no bite when ites to me. So what if I lose a couple of people because of you? That won''t make your life any less miserable. And for the record, you don''t have much time yourself. Can''t wait to die and drag you down to hell with me."


    "Oh, Bane, you naive fool. That''s exactly what I want. I want them all to think you died. I want her to believe that you died."

 17: A losing battle.

    **Zion


    pov**


    Pain. That was all I knew even in ces I didn''t know existed. I had no idea my ass could hurt like this, but here I was, enjoying that too.


    And yet, despite the shitstorm I was experiencing, I couldn''t help but worry about my best friend. Because of that leech, he was losing the battle. Day by day, I saw less and less Bane in him.


    The color of his skin had turned gray, his eyes were void of emotions and that body, shit, every time I saw him I had to wonder if the leech allowed him to eat at all.


    How stupid was I to worry about him while I was basically dying? Ha, that had to be one of my bad habits.


    "Beta Zion," someone whispered next to me, but I was too weak to lift my head and look at who came to check on me. It had to be one of the guards, but the loud ringing in my eyes was fucking with my senses, so I wasn''tpletely sure. "Mhm," was all I could force out to show the person I was still here, still fighting and listening.


    "I brought some water. The monster is busy taunting the Alpha in the office again, so we have some time. I have eyes on him, just in case he decides toe down here so you''re covered." He spoke, nothing but genuine worrycing his words.


    I barely felt his calloused fingers grab my chin and force my head up to guide the water bottle to my lips. As soon as the tasteless liquid flooded my mouth, my tastebuds came alive. Ironic how I alwaysined about drinking water because it wasn''t sweet, but in this situation, it tasted like the sweetest of the sweetest nectars. Better than honey. And I fucking loved honey.


    "Slowly," the guard hissed as I gulped the water like I was trying to save myself from drowning. Every gulp hurt, but I ignored it all, feeling more thirsty the more water I downed.


    All too soon, he pulled the bottle away, leaving me heaving and crying out for more. While in this situation, I felt like he was wronging me, he had a good reason for what he did.


    "Breathe. I need to clean you up a little, Beta. Your mate snuck in to see you, we can''t let a pregnantdy see the horror happening here," he muttered and pulled a rag out of his pocket to wet it with the leftover water from the bottle. My whole body froze as I tried to focus on his words. The guard carefully wiped what I assumed had to be blood off my face and tried to avoid the major cuts. Those bitches would surely leave scars since the fucker decided it was fun to cut me up like a Christmas pig and sprinkle in some silver dust to add a little spice to his doings.


    "There, much better," the guard muttered and stepped away.


    I couldn''t look at him, so I made a sound that I hoped sounded like thank you or something of sorts. Taking his whispered, "no problem," as an answer to my sound, I assumed I came across right as I wanted to.


    Noter than a few minutes after the guard left my cell, I heard my mate''s sharp intake of breath. Her presence made everything better, even the wet, cold cell didn''t feel as cold anymore.


    Barely, but I could see her drop to her knees. Then, her shaky hands came into view as she tried to cup my cheeks and help me lift my head to look at her. Goddess, how I missed looking at her beautiful face.


    I both wanted to see her and didn''t. She was so beautiful, so pure and perfect, but I.. I was a monster, created by a monster beyond imagination. Even if I survived this little adventure of torture and pain, I would leave with scars way deeper than those on my face and body.


    I was ruined beyond repair and that wasn''t what hurt me the most. What did was that this was the new me, the leftover K hoped would survive.


    "Zion, my love, Zion, oh Goddess," K cried out as she managed to lift my head and look at the damage on my face.


    I couldn''t force myself to meet her gaze, so I looked away. This was thest thing I wanted her to see, especially in her position.


    "No," she growled. "Look at me!"


    I didn''t want to. This would hurt her too much. She had enough on her shoulders without the shit I was experiencing. K was carrying our child, this stress couldn''t be good for her. "Zion," she cried out. "My love, I beg you, look at me."


    The pain in her voice broke my resolve. As my eyes met hers, I couldn''t stop the gasp that escaped me seeing her tears. I promised her I would never make her cry, but here I was, breaking the fucking promise like this. I was a piece of shit. And yet, I also enjoyed her soothing touch on my cheek. I wanted nothing but to taste those lips again, to wrap her in my arms and hold her until the stopped spinning.


    "This isn''t your fault, stop ming yourself for someone hurting you," K whispered and leaned in to press her lips to mine. Although the contact barely felt like a ghost, I still hissed in pain, instantly cursing myself for giving out how miserable I truly was.


    "Oh, no, my love," she cried out.


    Honestly, seeing her in this state was more painful than anything my body felt right now. At least a thousand times more. I hated the fact that I didn''t have enough strength to talk and use my voice as a means to calm her down.


    The moon Goddess was fucking with us all. I was sure of it. Just when I found my mate, which already felt like a miracle in itself, this is how I get to spend my life? And Bane? He was in a simr position. The Goddess gave us false hope just to fuck with us afterward.


    "Don''t me yourself, Zion. I can see that you''re doing that, but you shouldn''t. Please. I asked you to stay strong for us and our baby, but I promise to do the same. Just don''t stop fighting and I''ll figure something out. I will find a way to save you from this nightmare."


    K sounded so desperate, I wasn''t sure if it was me who she tried to convince or herself.


    And while I did me the moon Goddess for this nightmare, I still hoped she would hear our prayers and stop the madness before the mad fuck lost it for good. Truth to be told, she was responsible for this clusterfuck in its roots - she was the one who started this, so only she had the power to stop it too.


    I couldn''t imagine someone who prided themselves as a mother, someone who cared and nurtured, to watch over the agony and pain this pack was experiencing now and still doing nothing. She just decided to turn a blind eye on the crimes that fuckmitted. And instead of punishing only the criminal, she punished the innocent while he got away unharmed. Very fucking fair of her.


    "Zion, listen to me. Don''t you dare to give up. I''m serious - I will find a way to get you out of here and nurture you back to health. You are my mate, I don''t care how you look. I know it in your eyes how you feel, you are no monster to me. You are the love of my life, the love of our child''s life, regardless of how you look!" K hissed, taking me by surprise.


    This woman.. She was something else. So pure and loving. I didn''t deserve her.


    Just as she opened her mouth to give me more peace of mind, the guard rushed back to the cell and blurted out a panicked, "he''sing!"


    K, as quickly as she could, kissed my cheek and got back to her feet. "I''ll be back soon," she promised.


    I had no idea how, but I managed to gather enough strength to force out a few words, ignoring the pain in my throat. Although barely audible, I managed to whisper, "I love you."

 18: Playing with fire.

    **Milly


    pov**


    That idiot. That fucking old, good for nothing idiot. Was locking the door that much to ask for? Really?


    He had clearmands - go talk to her, in case of failure leave and lock the door.


    But now? Well, now we had a brand new can of worms opening before our eyes.


    The little slut escaped and Killian''s stupid pack were acting as if they lost something valuable, literally attempting to turn the whole territory upside down.


    This overreaction pissed me off simply because I knew she would have to return sooner orter. She had no idea how to survive, especially out in the wild with a wolf that hated her guts.


    Only upside that I saw for this situation was that the pack house waspletely empty. Even my father left to look for that little brat, leaving me behind so someone would be around if she came back.


    With the house all to myself, I had the chance I never thought I could have checking for gold. First stop? Of course, it had to be Killian''s office.


    That fool had so much trust in his pack, he was sure not a single soul would enter it during his absence. Well, news sh asshole, I wasn''t just any single soul or another nobody who worshiped him. I was an Alpha of my own pack, I had the right to take anything I wanted - when and how I pleased.


    As I strode inside his office, the first thing I did was check for cameras. Just in case.


    Exining to Killian why his office might reek of me would be rtively easy, but exining why my face was caught rummaging through his shit would be way harder.


    I might happen to put myself in difficult positions at times, but I also knew how to get out of the shit that followed. My father didn''t raise a snake - he raised a queen cobra.


    Once I made sure there were no cameras, I started rummaging through his desk. I found a couple of loose bills and pocketed them. Any penny towards my goal was money worth it.


    Somehow, I actually hit the jackpot sooner than I anticipated. There was a small box hidden among the books in his bookcase that contained a fair bit of money so I took it too.


    Using the luxury of being alone I quickly left the office and ran to the guest room I was staying in. First thing, I shoved all the money in my wallet and then ran to my father''s bedroom to hide the box there.


    If he was so useless that he couldn''t do one tiny thing for me, the least he could do was take the fall for me.


    I really wasn''t asking for that much.


    Once I got rid of the evidence, I walked back downstairs and gasped as I ran into someone. Looking up, I saw a familiar face, grinning at me from ear to ear.


    "Well, hello there, Alpha. I didn''t think I would see you around here again," he dragged the words as if that could make him sound less disgusting and annoying.


    Rolling my eyes, I tried to brush past him, but in true asshole manner, he didn''t let me. "What? No hello? No it''s nice to meet you? No - I miss your cock more than I miss my next breath? I''m offended, Alpha," he pped a hand on his chest, faking surprise.


    Killian''s Beta, whatever his name was.. He was thest person I wanted to see. Before I came here, Killian and I agreed it was best if we were kept apart so Killian sent him away. He wasn''t supposed to return for another few months. "It was a drunken mistake, get over yourself." I snarled, trying to get past again, failing because of the persistent asshole.


    "Drunken mistake on child champagne? Since when you get hammered on juice, Milly?" He chuckled, clearly enjoying my misery more than he should.


    "Fucking asshole," I muttered under my breath, looking anywhere but at him.


    "Ah, we''re back to lovenguage, that''s better. Love it when you act like a true self-centered bitch," he groaned and took a step forward, making me take one back.


    Step by step, he didn''t stop until my back hit the wall and he could use his stupidly muscr arms to cage me in. He was too close, the heat that radiated off his body was too much and the sensation of his stupid breath fanning my lips made my head spin. I needed to get the fuck out of here, ns be damned.


    I quickly ced my hands on his chest and suppressed the moan that threatened to escape me. Hate fucking this guy was one of the most fun things I had done in my entire life, but I refused to repeat the experience.


    A pleasurable grunt left him as he bucked his hips against me, showing off how hard and ready he already was. "Come on, don''t pretend to be a virgin, Milly. I know you want me just as bad as I want you. We''re alone here, no one''sing back until they find here so we can fuck out in the open for hours without being caught," he leaned in and I gulped at the closeness. "I know you want to," he added in a whisper and swiped his tongue over my ear.


    The insane shivers that ran down my spine was all the reality check I needed. I got back to my senses and tried to shove him away. The sooner there was distance between us, the sooner I could escape for good.


    But of course, the overgrown piece of meat didn''t move a muscle. And for the record - he had many of those - I meant muscles.


    "You''re ying hard to get again, huh? Got it, two can y this game," he growled and pressed his hips against me with more force, actually teasing a weak moan out of me.


    I hated how my body reacted to this man. He was thest person on this who deserved to hear the sound of my moans or see the desperate need in my eyes. The same as he was one of the few people who knew why he had to stay away from me.


    "And you''re ying with fire. When you attempt to do that, remember that you will get burned, you fool," I snarled and tried to push him off me again.


    The selfish, stubborn prick ignored my attempts to get away from him. Instead, he kept grinding himself against me and moaning in my ear, clouding my sensespletely. He knew what all of this was doing to me, so he was using it to his advantage.


    "Come on, let''s enjoy each other''s bodies for onest time. In the name of good old times. Surely, you wouldn''t reject me again. Last time we met, you looked very happy and pleased with yourself. I''m sure I can make those memories real all over again. And besides, you''re the prettiest when you''re under me, crying and begging for me to go harder, to fuck you deeper and faster. Please, Milly, tell me how much you don''t want that." He whispered.


    Every word that left his lips was like a songing from a siren. Each thing pulled me deeper into his web and I was ready to give in until he started kissing my neck, slowly leading his lips down to the crook of my neck. Massive wake-up call. Taking advantage of the moment, I shoved him away from me and tried to run away. However, before I was out of the house, he reached for me and grabbed my upper arm to growl. "You are my mate, you can''t keep fucking around thinking you won''t meet the consequences. This is thest time you get to run, Milly. Next time I catch you, I''m coring you and then, you''ll learn the true meaning of bing my bitch."

 19: Come back with me.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Call me stupid, but he had my full attention. Something about the way Alpha Killian approached me and ensured I felt safe around him made me feel like he didn''t lie about his intentions. Top it off with his offer, I really wanted to hear him out. So did Clove. If anything, she was getting more excited by the minute to get revenge on those who had ever wronged me. "Alright," I sighed. "I''m willing to hear you out."


    I was still very hesitant to give him any time of my day, but my curious mind and Clove''s chanting took over any logical thinking I might still have.


    Slowly, I sat down, keeping my eyes on Killian as a bright smile spread across his lips. "Okay, first things first - you wille back with me."


    Yeah, as soon as I sat down, I was back on my feet, shouting that I would do no such thing. He had to be out of his mind if he thought I went through all that trouble to run away just to happily hop back to the monster''s territory. No freaking way.


    Killian raised his hands and frowned at me. "Calm down, there''s no need to jump to conclusions. I didn''t finish what I had to say, did I?"


    There was a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, one I definitely didn''t like the slightest. At this point, reading him was a little hard so I couldn''t tell if he was messing with me or being serious.


    Huffing, I sat down again and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Don''t drag this out then andy it all out. I said I''m willing to hear you out, not listen to demands and follow them."


    "Has anyone told you that you''re very cute when you frown like this?" Killian mused.


    "Yes, Bane has," I spat back without thinking.


    "Right," he muttered and cleared his throat. Killian was an interesting man - hard to read yet his emotions, those were worn on his sleeve, very easy to see as they changed and jumped from one to another. "So? Will you tell me anything about the big idea or not?" I huffed, still very irritated.


    Something was seriously wrong with me. I didn''t feel like myself and came across much more aggressive than I actually was. Why?


    *"Protective instincts. You are about to be a mother, you know you''re risking more than just your safety so you''re being a massive bitch to anyone who might harm our pup,"* Clove was there to quickly exin the situation.


    I couldn''t hide the grin that spread across my lips. If I had those instincts this early in pregnancy, at least I didn''t have to worry about being a bad mother.


    "Yes, of course, sorry," Killian spoke again, seeming even more nervous than previously. "I didn''t mean to offend you with what I said. Didn''t mean that you woulde back as my bride or even return to the pack house. I guess I should have specified that," he chuckled.


    I nodded. "Yes, that actually would have helped big time. So, what''s the grand idea?"


    "Just like I mentioned earlier, my offer was for you to watch them both enjoy karma from a distance. I could allow you to live in one of the empty houses on my territory - that''s where you could be safe and wouldn''tck anything. At the same time, you would be close to the pack house if needed, but also far enough to ensure nobody knows you''re there. And while those two run around like crazy, thinking they lost their ticket to wealth, you just sit there and enjoy life." Killian shrugged.


    "What''s in it for you?" I blurted out without thinking.


    "Huh?"


    Groaning, I jumped to my feet again and started pacing in front of him. "Listen, I might not have too much experience in life, but if I learned anything it''s that everythinges at cost. Even the imaginary lemons that people say life gives them. Why free lemons all of a sudden? What''s wrong with them? Where did the lemonse from? Has anyone tampered with them? You get the idea, I suppose. What I''m saying is that just like those lemons actually don''te for free, people don''t do shit for you if they don''t get something out of it."


    Killian nodded, letting me know he understood where I wasing from but didn''t speak. He seemed to be deep in thoughts, his gaze focused on something far in the distance, so I let him have his moment.


    I didn''t pay much attention to how much time had passed by the time he finally came back to his senses, but when he did, Killian did somethingpletely unexpected. He stood up and rushed to me, pulling me into a tight hug and quickly let me go. "Sorry, thought you needed this just as much as I did," he instantly apologized and started backing away to create some distance between us.


    "The reason why I want to help you get back at them is because I know how it feels when those who are supposed to love you unconditionally try to take advantage of you. It sucks and you deserve better. Again, I won''t force you to marry me or anything, we will live in separate housings if you agree and see how it goes. Who knows, maybe one day I''ll manage to impress you enough for you to give me a chance."


    His cheeks turned bright red as he spoke and for some reason, I didn''t have it in me to spit in his face and scream at the top of my lungs that Bane was my mate. That Bane was the man I fell in love with long before I found out we were destined to each other by the moon Goddess. And most importantly, that I was carrying the result of the love Bane and I had for each other.


    "What do you think, Clove?" I asked out loud, unbothered by Killian''s presence.


    He did look at me funny, knowing we couldmunicate with our wolves without using our voices, but I liked talking to her out loud. It made me feel like she was closer, more present, not trapped inside my mind and body.


    *"I think it''s a pretty neat idea. Worst case scenario - we still will have free food and shelter. If you want to leaveter, I will still stay on your side. I think it could be better to go with him. We wouldn''t have to worry about food or roof over our heads which is pretty fucking important now that you''re carrying a pup. Also, Killian has a hospital in his territory, a couple actually and you really should see a doctor. Even the Alpha can''t ask for patient information so you''re safe, they will keep your secret."*


    I raised an eyebrow at Killian while Clove exined her opinion. My gaze clearly made him ufortable, the guy probably thought my wolf was ripping him in sheds with her words alone.


    "She''s not sure," I lied. "She said she would rather rip you to pieces than go back all that way just to see some emotional distress of people who have hurt us so much."


    "That''s not all. Well, for now it kind of is, but I have been nning something more for a while now, it was one of the reasons why I had to leave for so long. Trust me, their time ising and once the clock strikes, their downfall will be nothing short of glorious. You don''t want to miss it."

 20: I’ll stay.

    **Aife


    pov**


    True to his word, Killian took me back to his pack. Once the car crossed the pack territory border, the driver frowned and called someone, warning them about Killian''s arrival. From there, Killian asked me to squeeze in where the leg space was supposed to be so no one would notice me. Okay, so far he was following the n - sneaking me in.


    One of the things that I really didn''t like were the nces from the driver. I hadn''t done anything to the man, yet he looked angry for some reason.


    *"I think he has feelings for his Alpha, that''s why he''s so angry with you,"* Clove whispered.


    I tried to hold it back, but couldn''t and snorted out augh. Ugly one, instantly grabbing attention from Killian and his driver. "Nothing," I waved them off as both Killian and his driver looked at me. "Don''t mind me, my wolf just told me the stupidest joke."


    Thankfully, neither of them tried to press me so I used the little time I still had in the car to observe them both. Funny thing was that just as often as I could catch nces from the driver to Killian, I could also see the big bad Alpha steal a peek or two at the driver.


    Had I missed something? Perhaps I had because from this perspective, if anyone asked me, I could im these two were into each other. I couldn''t pin-point one or the other as gay, that would be pretty rude of me as assuming someone''s sexual identity wasn''t my right, but there was a spark and it kept growing brighter with every stolen nce.


    This made me wonder why.. Why would Killian agree to marry me and pay that much money, if he didn''t have interest in women? Also since there was that thing about him, demanding a virgin. Or maybe he enjoyed the best from both worlds?


    Shaking my head, I dropped the thought for good. It was none of my business and pretending that I should care really wasn''t the right thing.


    "Jonathan will drop me off at the pack house first and then, he will take you to a separate housing to avoid raising any suspicions. You can trust him, he''s the man I trust my life with," Killian announced when I assumed we were getting closer to the house.


    I nodded, really rather avoiding having more conversations. I wasn''t in the mood for talking.


    Just as he had told me, Killian jumped out of the car and his driver sped off. We were left alone, both pretty ufortable with the silence that suffocated us.


    "You can," he cleared his throat. "You can sit on the seat now, I''m taking you to a pretty remote part of the pack. Alpha thought it would be better so you can shift and have evening runs as well." He exined, eyes trained on the road ahead, hands gripping the steering wheel with so much force that I could see how white his knuckles turned.


    "I think I''ll stay down here for now. Just in case," I muttered the excuse.


    Truth be told, I didn''t want to sit on the seat only because I would rather avoid giving him a chance to steal nces at me too. Also, maybe if he didn''t have to look at me - the man would share something I didn''t know yet.


    The drive to the chosen house took about twenty minutes. Way more than I assumed since Killian imed I had to stay away, yet close enough, but who cared..


    Getting out of the car, I gasped. The house wasn''t too much - it wasn''t a mansion or massive family house, but it looked so inviting and homey, I couldn''t stop my legs from moving closer.


    The driver stood next to the car but didn''t move. For some reason, that felt wrong, so I froze in my step and nced over my shoulder. "Aren''t youing?" I raised an eyebrow.


    He chuckled and shook his head, "I heard entering the house of a singledy isn''t the most gentlemanly thing someone could do." He mused.


    Rolling my eyes at him, I groaned. "Come on, Jonathan, I have no interest in your Alpha, I have an Alpha of my own to drool over, so Killian is yours. Now that this problem should be out of our way, we can finally be friends, right?" A bright, unexpected smile spread across his lips. His reaction startled me a bit as I hadn''t seen him in any other mood than that permanent scowl of his, but once Jonathan started walking towards the house, I knew I had him. Honestly, I had no intention to use the poor guy or anything, but I really wouldn''t say no to a friend. Technically, I stood in the enemy''s territory so I did need someone to hold onto, especially if this someone was my ''so-called'' enemy. No matter how kind and helpful Killian had been, I still couldn''t trust him. At least not yet. Not until he proved that he could be trusted and really didn''t mean any harm. So far, despite going along with the n, he hadn''t proved anything. ying games with others was easy. Do the things you promise to do and then, turn around to use the trust you earned against the person for your own good. That still could happen.


    *"I don''t think any of them will do that. Call me crazy, but I have a feeling that Killian and his lovesick driver can be trusted. I might be wrong, of course, but still.."* Clove whispered, once again, acting as if someone could hear her.


    One of these days, I might tell her that I was the only one who had the ability to hear her voice, but for now, her sketchy behavior was the only thing that really entertained me.


    "Well, that sure does make me feel a little better," Jonathan chuckled, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    Somehow, he managed to reach me, an expectant glint in his eyes. I was so distracted by Clove that I didn''t notice how fast he got to me.


    "So, is the offer still up or should I leave?" He teased, sounding like apletely different person.


    It was a little funny how fast Jonathan managed to nearly switch his personality while all he needed was a slight reassurance that I wouldn''t stand in his way.


    I couldn''t hide the smile that spread across my lips. Side by side, we walked toward the door and I stood in front of it while Jonathan grabbed the key from under the nt pot. He unlocked it and opened it wide enough for me to enter. Inside the house was even better, more inviting than the outside. House itself wasn''t too big, but it felt perfect. It wasn''t mine, but felt like it was. How was that possible? To feel so at home at the ce that I entered for the first time in my life..


    "I think we could brew some tea and talk. The Goddess knows we need it," Jonathan sighed. "I guess I have a lot to exin if I don''t want toe across as an absolute asshole."


    Raising an eyebrow at him, I agreed without thinking. Again, I needed an ally, especially if there was no one who could stand by my side if shit went down.


    "Let me show you around first and then, we can sit down. Sounds good?"

 21: We need Alpha.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Just like promised, Jonathan showed me around the house. The bedroom was amazing, so much so in fact that I already dreamed about the moment he would leave and I could hide in thatfy bed, locked away and hidden from everyone. After the brief tour, he led me to the kitchen where Jonathan made us some tea and then, we went out on the patio. Whoever built this house had a great taste in everything, even the furniture outside.


    As we sat down, I realized that this house had to be special. Not only was it beautiful inside out, but the whole setting reminded me of a fairytale scenario. The view from the patio made this ce truly magical.


    "Okay," Jonathan sighed as he set the cup he was holding on the table. "I might have acted like aplete dick and for that, I apologize. You don''t deserve to be treated like an enemy because you''re not one. And I don''t view you as one, for the record. Gosh, I sound like a fool, don''t I?"


    I didn''t get a chance to answer before Jonathan reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes with a lighter. My eyes widened a little as he pulled one out, ced it between his lips and was about to light it up. "Don''t," I blurted out before I could stop myself.


    As soon as his eyes set on me, dread filled me. How was I supposed to exin why I didn''t want him smoking around me? Or at least what excuse could I use so I wouldn''t have to go into details about something as personal as a pregnancy? Jonathan pulled the cigarette from his lips so slowly, I cringed, unable to hide any emotions that were running through me. He raised his eyebrow, clearly suspicious, but since I had no idea how to go about this, I remained silent and looked anywhere but at him.


    "You''re pregnant,¡± he whispered, little to no emotioncing his words.


    I felt like all blood in my body managed to travel up to my cheeks while my heart stopped and muscles locked me in the position. My mouth was dry, a lump that formed in my throat expanded to the size of a darn baseball ball and at one point, I started sweating like a pig.


    "I''m not judging," he suddenly announced, raising his hands as if in surrender and shaking his head in denial. "Stress is bad for babies. I think. Don''t stress out, please."


    The scenarios of possible consequences went through my mind so fast, I nearly passed out. No one was supposed to find out, this was one of the reasons why I wanted to leave. At the end of the day, if there was one thing I knew for a fact it was that Bane had many enemies, more than I could imagine.


    If anyone were to find out I was carrying his child, Bane''s enemies would line up for a hunt to use us against him. Perhaps he really didn''t care about me and my well being, but I had a feeling that he would care about his child. Or at least I hoped so..


    "I won''t tell anyone. It''s up to you when you''re ready to announce it, if you ever will be." Jonathan reached over the table and grabbed my hand. "Listen, I won''t tell anyone. I promise. Not a soul."


    The sincerity in his words overwhelmed me. It was too early, I hadn''t fully wrapped my own mind around the idea, let alone deal with someone who just found out.


    "I don''t want anyone to know, not yet," I managed to force the words out, despite how painful they felt.


    "And I understand that," Jonathan tried to reassure me. "Despite the ideas you might have about me as a person, keep in mind that I''m not half as bad as you might think I am. Moreover, I do have a few working brain cells and it''s not hard to put together the ideas why you need to keep this beautiful news to yourself. And no, not because of my Alpha. I think it''s because of your Alpha. Letting this knowledge out for the public to find out might turn into a disaster, we don''t have many people who like him. If at all."


    I felt like a heavy weight just fell off my shoulders. I didn''t have to go into details exining my reasoning for the decision, this man who didn''t know me at all, found the answers without any help. "Thank you," I whispered and offered him a slight smile.


    Never in my life had I thought I could ever end up in a position I was stuck in now. First of all, I never thought as far as ever having children, but now, I was expecting one without the baby''s father being in the picture.


    "But I think Killian should know," Jonathan announced, taking away all the ease I felt a moment ago and instantly recing it with dread.


    For now, Killian was acting as if he was on my side, but news like this could change everything for good. Bane and Killian weren''t exactly friends and he might try to use this to his advantage too. The bottom line was that I couldn''t trust anyone, no matter how much I wanted to.


    Even Jonathan, as nice as he was acting, it could have been a game he was ying, not an actual representation of his nature.


    Shaking my head, I fought the tears. I didn''t want him to know this but now that it was toote, at least I could take the power about who else could know or not.


    "No, don''t jump to more conclusions again. What I mean is that it would be best if Killian knew. Not only would he be able to get you everything you might need, everything that baby might need, but also ensure you get the medical attention you need. Just think about it, that''s all I''m asking. And while you think, keep in mind that carrying an Alpha''s child isn''t a game. It''s not easy. There is a reason why Lunas spend most of their pregnancies under strict supervision of doctors." Frowning, I tried to find any crack in his demeanor. I didn''t like how Jonathan''s words sounded. "What do you mean?"


    The smile that spread across his lips didn''t reach his eyes. It seemed more like one of those ''I pity you'' smiles, not a genuine one. "A lot of Lunas die during their pregnancies, especially the chosen ones. The Goddess knows a strong she-wolf when she sees one. Only the strongest women are paired with Alphas, mainly because of the health risks that follow pregnancies."


    As always, before I could stop myself and think, I blurted out the information I initially didn''t want to share, "Bane''s my mate. I found out shortly before I left that pack. I''m not his chosen Luna, we are fated mates."


    The color drained from Jonathan''s face as he jumped to his feed, wide-eyed, nearly panicking. I couldn''t pin-point what brought such a reaction, but there had to be an exnation to this. "Wait here," he hissed. "While you would rather keep this pregnancy a secret, which I understand, I can''t let you," he ran a hand through his hair and hissed. "Shit, we''re in such deep shit. Don''t move, Aife, I swear, don''t move. We need Alpha here like hours ago!"

 22: In trouble.

    **Killian


    pov**


    As soon as I entered the pack house, I knew something was off. Terribly off. The only issue was that I couldn''t understand what exactly was wrong with the overall feeling here.


    Sure, the whole pack thought that Aife had gone missing, but that was beyond the point. The feeling I got was something else, definitely not the emptiness of the premises that usually buzzed with nothing but life. Maybe I felt off because usually, whenever I returned from my trips, I never entered the pack house alone, but even that felt like a tiny possibility. Jonathan''s absence couldn''t be the reason why I didn''t feel at home. Deciding it was better to investigate, not stand aside like some stranger, I headed into the living room. That was empty, no object was left out of its ce and the vibe hadn''t changed much either. Perhaps I was losing my mind.. Just as I neared the possibility of epting that thought, Kayson entered the living room, catching mepletely off guard. He wasn''t supposed to return this soon.


    Before I could react, he had his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. "Hey there, buddy, I wasn''t expecting to see you this soon. The pack members mentioned something about you returning in weeks or months," he cheered. Kayson wasn''t your everyday happy go lucky person, so his behavior was so out of character that it actually set the rm bells off in my head. Slowly, I pushed him away and frowned.


    As my eyes scanned my so-called best friend, I didn''t need much time to understand that he was hiding something from me. Something big.. Something I wouldn''t like.


    "Spit it out," I groaned and sat down, crossing my arms in front of my chest.


    Clearly, he didn''t like my attitude. In true Kayson''s nature, he rolled his eyes at me and sat down, but unlike me, he couldn''t hold eye contact. There, definitely hiding something important.


    "Spit. It. Out," I repeated myself, forcing the words through gritted teeth to let him know I wasn''t in the mood of ying his games again. Kayson didn''t have many options here. In fact, he had only one, which was something he didn''t want to take. Like I fucking cared.


    "Why do you always assume the worst? It''s like I barely see you anymore and once I decide to hop in for a surprise visit not only are you away, damn it, but also once we finally get to see each other - you''re acting like aplete dick. What happened to you? Is there my best friend in that body still or have I lost him too? Seriously, Killian, give me a fucking break," he groaned.


    If anyone, he had to know that I wasn''t too fond of liars, especially those who lied straight to my face. Alright, maybe the shit he hid was something personal, I wouldn''t mind it if he kept that to himself, but there was no need to act like whatever he wasn''t saying was connected to me.


    With Kayson, it was pretty easy - the guy was a shit liar and whenever he acted like a sketchy child around someone, the person instantly knew the behavior was in a way connected to them. Like now. Kayson never hugged me like this. Ever. "Stop avoiding the demand. Or, do you need me to change the tone and make sure it''s amand?" I raised an eyebrow.


    Using my Alpha voice was thest thing I enjoyed, especially against those who were closest to me, but sometimes it was needed. Kayson was my Beta, my best friend, but above all that, he also had gotten too damnfortable in his position. He seriously had to get his shit together.


    "Alright, damn it," he hissed and ran his hand through his hair. "There''s absolutely no need to act like aplete dick, you know. Also, you don''t have tomand me around, Alpha. All it takes is to be nice and ask the right questions. For once, be my friend, not my superior," he whispered thest part, but I still could hear it loud and clear.


    Leaning against the backrest of the couch, I smiled. "Could you please tell me what''s going on?"


    Although deep down, I knew this answer would follow, but it still didn''t make me less annoyed than I already was. Kayson met my gaze and grinned like the mad fuck he was as he mouthed, "no."


    "See," now, it was my turn to groan and make stupid sounds. "I tried to approach you in a nicer way and it still didn''t work. Last warning, Kayson. I''m still treating you like a friend here, I won''t be so kind the next time I need to waste more of my breath on you."


    The fear that shed in his eyes was barely noticeable, and didn''tst for more than a second, but I knew him well enough to notice it. What could have happened for Kayson to fear my reaction? This was so not him.


    "I might have," he started and sighed, as if in defeat. While I frowned at my best friend, I didn''t miss how ufortable he appeared even when Kayson jumped to his feet and started pacing the living room. It was unclear if he tried to find the right words ore up with another excuse.


    When Kayson finally stopped and turned around to face me, the phone in my pocket went off. I raised one finger to signal that he had to keep that thought and pulled the annoying device out of my pocket.


    ncing at the screen, I frowned again and quickly declined the iing call just to get another one right after. I declined that too, but of course, the ringing didn''t stop so I gave in and answered the call, "Jonathan, I''m kind of in the middle of something here," I spoke, a little harsher than I intended.


    "I know, Alpha. I tried to reach you using mind-link but since you blocked everyone out, I kind of gathered you''re busy.. This is important. Very important. I need you here," Jonathan whispered thest words, as if he knew someone was in the earshot.


    "How soon?" Was all I asked while still eyeing Kayson. My best friend wasn''t paying attention to the phone call, if anything, he appeared relieved that he didn''t have toe clean about his secrets just yet.


    "This will sound bad, but I need you here right now. No, probably an hour ago, if not months. This is huge, trust me, we''re in sort of trouble with this one. Way bigger than we originally assumed."

 23: I don’t understand.

    **Killian pov**


    Not surprisingly, Kayson looked very relieved when I announced that I had to leave for a bit. Unlike his usual self, now, he wasn''t asking millions of questions, making me suspect he would rather see me go than get on my nerves. I had to shake off the feeling that stirred up my gut to ignore his out of character behavior. There were more important matters for me to attend and quite frankly, I was dying to find out what Jonathan had discovered. However, before I could exit the pack house, he went back to his old ways and stopped me by screaming, "where are you going?"


    I had to resist the urge to remind him where he could shove the unnecessary questions. There was no way in hell, I as an Alpha, had to exin myself to a Beta that hadpletely lost his way.


    Taking a few deeper breaths, I tried to ground myself to my best ability. Starting another argument would be a stupid move, so I forced down every instinct within me and replied calmly, "something came up. Something important, that''s all you have to know."


    While Kayson looked uneasy, at least he had enough understanding not to push me any further. He nodded and started backing away, "understood. We can talkter, I guess."


    "We will talkter. That isn''t a question anymore, Beta. You have plenty of exining to do," I growled and pulled the door open to leave before he could have a chance to spill more nonsense.


    I used to trust Kayson with my life, buttely, I wasn''t sure if I could anymore. He wasn''t just lost as a Beta, he waspletely lost as a person - as a man. Something happened, and sooner orter, I would find the answers to all of my questions. No matter how much he fought against me.


    But that was something I had to push to the back of my mind. First, I would deal with more pressing matters, and then, I would deal with everything else.


    As soon as I sat inside my private car, I opened the pack mind-link and sent out a message to my pack members to stop the search. I couldn''t risk one of them getting too far and finding Aife now that I had to hide her away from everyone. After a flurry of confused questions and a bunch of one word agreements, I mind-linked Jonathan to tell him that I was on my way there. He appeared on the edge, but far more calmer than previously on the phone, so I didn''t speed there. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. Life had be a little tooplicated these days. Everything used to be easier, especially with Aife. There was an agreement - I paid the money, I got the bride and done deal. But no, nothing was as simple and easy as that document first stated.


    Once I reached the little house near the pack border, I nearly passed it, too stuck in my thoughts. The weight on my shoulders was too muchtely, that was the excuse I used to exin my mindless behavior.


    No one but me would ever excuse something I did, maybe that was why I forced myself to remain in the car for a little while to ensure myself I hadn''t done anything crime-worthy. I too was a human, if only half one.


    Too soon, Jonathan already stood next to the car and opened the door for me. "Alpha," he greeted me, visibly tense.


    Another thing I noticed about him was how his eyes darted everywhere and his nostrils red, as if he was trying to see if anyone followed me.


    To ease his mind, I ced my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it a little, "don''t worry, I arrived alone. I mind-linked the pack to stop the search and told them all to return home. Nobody knows I''m here." "Even Beta Kayson?" Jonathan asked. He tried his best to sound calm, but I could hear the tense undertone to his words.


    Kayson and Jonathan had never been what one might call friends. I couldn''tbel them enemies either, but even a blind man would notice the dislike those two felt for each other. I had no idea why or when this mess started, but ever since I could recall having them in one room - the tension had always been a little too much.


    "Even Beta Kayson. Let''s say he has enough on his mind as it is. Thest person he would like to stick around right now would be me. I''m sure he wouldn''t follow me. If anything, he will do his best to stay as far away from me as possible," I exined and chuckled once tension left Jonatha''s muscles.


    "That''s good. With this.. ehem.. situation, we don''t need witnesses." He muttered under his breath and spun on his heel, and headed back inside the small house.


    Unease slowly crept over me, trapping all of my senses in a web of sorts, ensuring I couldn''t escape even if I tried my best.


    As I stepped inside the small house, I followed Jonathan to the living room area and stopped dead in my tracks as soon as I noticed Aife sitting on the couch, looking scared out of her skin.


    Whatever happened while I was away had to be something far more serious than I initially assumed. While the understanding slowly eased its way inside my mind, I tried my best to appear as normal as I could. First, I sat down and scanned the room. Then, I attempted to appear less tense than I was, letting the silence take over and hopefully, soon guide us towards answers.


    Jonathan sat next to Aife. He ced his hand on her thigh, more like a friendly gesture, not one of a caring partner, and whispered something. Okay, so there wasn''t anything going on between them then.


    They kept muttering something to each other until I couldn''t take the tension anymore and cleared my throat to gain their attention. "So, is anyone going to exin what is going on? Jonathan, you imed something serious is happening and I must arrive as soon as possible. Now.. I''m here, aren''t I?"


    Aife and Jonathan exchanged nces, both visibly worried.


    Once her eyes focused on me, I could see the fear and uncertainty in her gaze, which once again, made me wonder what might be the issue.


    "You tell him.. Please," she whispered and averted her gaze as her hand shot to grab his and squeeze it. "I don''t think I can do this. Please." The words were dripping with desperation and pain, so I wasn''t surprised that Joanthan instantly jumped in and agreed.


    He cleared his throat, the same as I did a moment ago, and met my gaze. "Alpha, Miss Aife is pregnant," he announced without skipping a beat.


    My initial reaction was pure shock and disbelief. How was she pregnant? I mean, I understood how a woman could get pregnant, that wasn''t the sole question. No, I had no idea what the question really was.


    "So.." I dragged the word, eyeing them both. "I was summoned like some fucked up demon just for the pregnancy reveal? Are we nning a baby shower now? I don''t understand."


    Deep down, I knew I sounded like aplete idiot, but truly, I had no idea what was going on. She was pregnant, okay, and? Most of the women became mothers, some earlier than others and some chose to avoid that path. Honestly, I didn''t think I had the right toment on her choices.


    "That''s not all," Jonathan forced the words through gritted teeth.


    Deciding to y along, I leaned against the backrest of the couch and grinned. "Sure, be my guest, carry on and tell me what could be so God awful about this news that you had me haul my ass here as if it''s on fire." Jonathan red at me, which I ignored and spoke. "Bane is the father."


    A chuckle left me. "Figured."


    Why these two were making such a big deal out of this was beyond me. Or, at least until he decided to reveal the key detail of this mess, "you don''t understand, do you? She isn''t the chosen Luna, she is the Luna. Aife was brave enough to trust me with this. Before she left that ce - she found out she is Alpha Bane''s fated mate. Do you have any idea what is to follow now? Think, Killian, just think back to the history of his bloodline and let this sink in."


    "Shit."

 24: Not safe here.

    **Aife


    pov**


    Why was I so damn scared? Why couldn''t I look into Killian''s eyes and juste clean with him? After all, he was the man who provided the shelter and security I so desperately needed.


    The only thing that grounded me and kept me somewhat sane was Jonathan''s reassuring grip. His hand, that I was clutching as if it was my lifeline. Just hours ago, this man looked at me with so much anger and distaste, just to be the savior I needed as we discussed the secret I carried under my heart.


    I opened my mouth, about to question them both, but as soon as I did, my throat dried up, a massive lump appeared out of nowhere and I couldn''t utter a word.


    My struggle went unnoticed as Killian and Jonathan spoke about something, gradually raising their voices and waving their arms as if they were arguing, but I couldn''t hear a word. It was as if my mind blocked out every word my ears caught


    on.


    Was everything and everyone in my life against me? It seemed as though the universe conspired against me, each twist of fate further entangling me in the web of my own making. I didn''t want to stand aside and act like a sorry victim. Self- pity offered no sce. My reality was harsh, but it also was one, crafted by my own choices.


    As Killian''s voice rose in frustration, I felt a pang of immense guilt tighten in my chest. "We can''t keep her hidden here forever, Jonathan," he eximed, his tone edged with concern. "The longer she stays here, alone, the more danger she''s in. And even if she pulls through, remember that it''ll take only a few months until she has to give birth. There is no doctor and midwife that will ever agree to assistbor at someone''s home, especially Luna''sbor." My eyes followed his hand as Killian brought it to the bridge of his nose and hissed out a whisper, "the father is too powerful, she might not make it."


    Jonathan''s brows furrowed in response as his grip on my hand tightened, just a little, but still enough for me to feel. "But where else could she go then? You, better than anyone, should know what that crazy bitch of a sister is capable of," he retorted, his voiceced with urgency. "And Bane.. if he finds out.."


    Bane. The mere thought of him sent a shiver down my spine. It didn''t matter that my heart still beat for him, for his presence, touch, the warmth of his arms.. After I saw what he was capable of, how far he was willing to go to hurt me - the very person he was supposed to love and cherish. Yeah, I still believed that fleading from that ce was the best decision I had ever made.


    Perhaps not for now, but in the long run, I was sure it would be for the best. For myself and our unborn child.


    "I think we need a n," Jonathan continued, his voice bringing me out of my thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I could see his gaze flicker between Killian and me. "Somewhere safe. We need somewhere where she cany low until we figure this out. As much as I wish I could say this house is okay, with a twist like this - I think we both know it''s not safe to keep her hidden in the territory. Do you have the ownership of any neutralnds already? We could use a ce like that right now."


    Killian nodded, his expression grim. "I think I have a couple of contacts I could reach out to," he announced as a newfound wave of determination washed over him. "We will find a ce, just like you said, somewhere off the grid where she can''t be traced. Neutralnds might be the best solution since no one could legally follow her there too."


    Relief flooded through me as my grip on Jonatha''s hand loosened. The prospect of a ce, safe enough for my baby, was bringing a sense of happiness, if only temporary. However, even as hope shone through the darkness that surrounded me, the weight of uncertainty still lingered like a shadow, a constant reminder of the path I was about to walk. Alone.


    Jonathan and Killian didn''t waste much time. Both instantly emerged into a discussion about their ns and possibilities, while I let my mind race. Sure, most of my thoughts were enveloped in thick, dark coats of doubts and fears, but being cautious couldn''t be a crime.


    Still, I couldn''t help but wonder. What if Bane was still stuck in that psychotic episode? What if he sent someone out to find me and drag me back now that he knew that there was more that connected us than a couple of nights we spent together? Mate bond could be as much of a curse as it could be a blessing.


    Then, there was another problem on my te. I didn''t believe that my father and Milly would back down this easily. They both weren''t known for throwing in the towel the moment problems arose. Those two doubled down on whatever they wanted - there was no such thing as failure for them. Ever.


    "Yes, but we can''t afford any mistakes," Killian muttered, gripping my attention with the strength of an invisible iron w. "She''s not safe here, not with the stakes so high."


    Somewhere at the back of my mind, some of my thoughts turned into a different direction. What had happened for everything to turn so backwards in a matter of hours? It wasn''t that long ago when Killian was buying me off my father like some product, but now, he stepped up and acted like a real leader, a true protector of his pack while I wasn''t a part of one at all.


    As I nced at Jonathan, his gaze softened and he instantly squeezed my hand, as if giving me an unspoken promise. "We will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, Aife," he whispered, seemingly saying less than he truly wanted to. And yet, his voice was so steady despite the gravity of this situation that I couldn''t help but believe him. "I won''t let anything happen to you or the baby."


    Tears welled up in my eyes and my bottom lip trembled as a wave of emotions overwhelmed me. The warmth of his words offered a sense offort, a ray of hope fighting though the wildest of the storms that raged within me.


    As Killian and Jonathan delved deeper into their discussion, I couldn''t shake the feeling that time was slipping through our fingers like grains of sand, each passing moment bringing us closer to the inevitable downfall that awaited us all. "I''ll go with her!" Jonathan suddenly shouted, scaring me so much that I jumped in my seat.


    "What?" I managed to force out the word, weak, but still audible.


    He shifted in his seat to face me and grabbed both of my hands. "Killian can''t go with you, Aife, he is the Alpha and the pack needs him. I, however, am nothing but a personal driver. I''m sure Alpha won''t mind it if I take some time off, after all, I haven''t had a vacation in ten years."


    In response, Killian groaned. "Hate to say goodbye to my best driver, if only for the time being, but I think he has a point. If one of us can remain at your side at all times, that will give us all a little more sense of safety."


    With that being said, Killian pped his hands against his thighs and stood up. "I guess we agreed on this one then. I need to return to the pack house to see where you two could hide and in the meantime, as I pull on the strings, you two can stay here and get to know each other better."


    Killian didn''t wait for an answer. He headed for the door and stopped, as if he forgot to add an important detail. "Before I forget - I''ll arrange a doctor''s appointment for you before we set the n in action. We need to make sure that you and the baby are okay to travel."

 25: What do you know about his curse?

    **K


    pov**


    Only the wolf Goddess knew how much I wanted for Aife to return. Her rtionship with the Alpha wasn''t great, it was sort of toxic, but that woman - she did wonders.


    For her, Alpha Bane fought against his demons. For her, he tried to be a better man every day. For her, Alpha Bane did his best to be a person, not a monster he was slowly bing now. Thankfully, I managed to sneak away from the cells unnoticed, armed with a new type of determination. I had overheard some whispers from the guards, so I knew what I had to do next.


    I had to get to the bottom of this whole curse thing, figure out how to break it and then, I believed I could free Zion. My mate was a grand, powerful man, but despite how much I believed in his abilities - I still worried about his chances with pulling through this.


    One thing was clear - if he woulde out of this, which I was almost absolutely sure he would, Zion would end up with a lot of trauma and getting him back to his usual self wouldn''t be easy at all.


    Oh, who was I kidding? Even understanding this whole curse thing would be better than trying to grasp at empty air.


    As I hurried down the halls, doing my best to avoid any possibility of running into the Alpha, I headed towards the kitchen. I was happy to see that only one woman was working. The less people were involved in my mission, the better.


    It had to be a lucky twist of fate that the woman hurried towards me as soon as she noticed me. "Beta K, have you gotten any news on Aife? We''re so worried," she whispered as her eyes frantically scanned the kitchen.


    Everyone in the main building was walking on eggshells around Bane. One wrong word couldnd them in the same position as my poor mate, so I didn''t me her attempts to be sneaky.


    Shaking my head, I spoke. "udia, right? I need your help in my house. I need to change curtains in the living room as the old set is so dusty, it''s triggering my allergies. I can''t afford the risk while being pregnant, but the doctors advised me not to raise my arms for some reason. Will you be done with your responsibilities here anytime soon?"


    Only the gods knew how much I appreciated this woman''s ability to catch on a hint and think fast. udia nodded frantically and reached for a kitchen towel to dry her hands, "I''m done here. The other girls are setting the table right now and they have been told to bring out the food once Alpha arrives. I''m avable to help until dinner preparation time."


    As if on cue, the kitchen door opened and one of Bane''s minions strode inside as if he had no worry in the world. In this short time, I learned that far too many men preferred the monster over their Alpha and dly followed his reign. Fucking disgusting.


    "Well, well, well, what do we have here? The half-cat and the servant. You two suit each other," he mocked us as he approached the refrigerator. "What are you two morons up to here? nning rebelion, I''d assume?"


    As much as I wanted to smack him across that smug face, I knew violence wouldn''t lead to anything good. A good warrior always knew when they were fighting a losing battle and had learned when to take a step back.


    "I was asking udia if she could help me change curtains in my living room," I repeated the lie I used as a cover up to get the woman away from the main building.


    The darn minion tore his gaze away from the fridge and red at me, "and why can''t you do that yourself? Have you lost your arms? I know you''re carrying the old Beta''s bastard, but that doesn''t give you special privileges around this ce. You ain''t a queen, bitch."


    Rolling my eyes at his remark, I sighed. "Doctor''s orders. Can''t do that myself, hence why I asked if she is avable to help, notmanded her to. There''s a difference between those things, you know."


    As silence took over, I feared for a moment that I had gone too far. My own words echoed in my mind, making me realize just how bitter and sarcastic I sounded.


    Thankfully, the guy with little to no brain power shrugged and returned his attention to the open refrigerator, which by now had started ying the song of death. You know, the beeping sound that device made whenever it was losing temperature? Yeah, that.


    "Makes sense," he muttered under his breath and finally, I felt like I could breathe.


    "It shouldn''t take more than an hour or two, I promise udia will be back here before dinner time," I assured the minion, just to ensure he wouldn''t think of entering my home if she stayed with me for too long and I hadn''t provided a time frame.


    "Whatever, make sure she doesn''t forget her ce and works as she''s supposed to." He snapped at me, mmed the fridge door shut and left the kitchen.


    Cold shivers ran down my spine. Something was terribly off with this man. While he wasn''t one of the tallest or more muscr pack men, he had an aura that brought dread wherever he went. The only exnation I could use would be that he was so deeply rooted evil that he didn''t need a threatening frame to scare someone.


    "Follow me, please," I addressed udia, doing my best to hide the fear that surged through me and failing miserably. At least it didn''t look like I was the only one who was scared shitless - she didn''t look even a bit better than I did. We left the main building without unnecessary run-ins with anyone, which I was grateful for, and headed towards the house Zion had chosen as our home.


    During the walk, both of us were tense and kept looking around for anything. These days, the demon Bane had developed an ability to appear out of nowhere at the worst moments possible. Thest thing I needed was his presence. The walk back home left like an eternity even though it couldn''t have been more than a couple of minutes. As soon as I opened the house door and stepped inside, only to be met with the familiar yet fading scent of my mate, I wanted to copse.


    I was tired beyond exnation. If Zion were here, he would send me to the bedroom to get some rest, but if I wanted to experience that type of love ever again, I couldn''t rest for a second. Not until I had him back.


    "I assume this isn''t about the curtains," udia muttered, pulling me out of my thoughts.


    Arming myself with a newfound sense of purpose, I spun on my heel to face her and met her gaze, "I brought you here to talk about Alpha Bane. What do you know about his curse?"

 26: It’s fine, my dear.

    **K


    pov**


    To my surprise, udia looked taken aback by my question. While she knew I needed her for more than just some help with housework, she clearly didn''t expect me to know anything about the curse. "How do you know about the curse?" She gasped the question, taking one step back, proving my point.


    "It doesn''t matter. What matters if you know anything. Anything at all. Don''t try to hide anything or suddenly prove how loyal you can be to your Alpha, okay? At the end of the day, all of us are pretty much screwed if someone doesn''t figure out how to fight whatever lives inside him." I tried to reason.


    When she started shaking her head in denial, I couldn''t believe this woman. I wasn''t asking for her undying loyalty or for her to start some sick movement of rebellion. What I needed were some answers.


    "I can''t go against Alpha like that. Excuse mynguage, but you still are an outsider. Just because you are mated to our Beta doesn''t mean we can trust you. Especially with information as sensitive as this."


    I was tripping, right? Yes, my pregnant brain decided it was a good idea to lick some poisonous mushrooms in the forest and now I was seeing things. No, I was hearing them. There wasn''t another decent exnation for this madness. None.


    "Again, I''m not asking you to go against him," I groaned, barely holding myself together.


    I couldn''t help but wonder if this woman didn''t see how desperate I was for the answers she held. She had seen me suffer so much, and if she didn''t want to do this for me - she should want to do this for Zion.


    As soon as her lips parted to say something, I raised my hand to stop her and spoke before she could. "Listen to me, please. I need to get my mate out of there. You haven''t been down in the cells, you haven''t seen him, haven''t seen his suffering. But I have. Just minutes ago, I was down there and held onto my mate who''s barely holding on to a thread. He won''t be able to take this suffering for any longer. I fear for his life, damn it. I fear our child will never get to know their father, never feel the love he has to give."


    Instinctively, I ced a hand over my belly as hot tears started streaming down my cheeks. Perhaps my reasons for doing this were selfish, but I couldn''t help it. Now, finally, after all the suffering I went through - I had found my happiness. And even that was taken from me by some sick monster.


    If everyone saw me as the most selfish person alive for trying to help him - I didn''t mind that.


    udia''s eyes widened at my outburst, her hesitation still palpable as she struggled to decide if her loyalty to the Alpha was worth it.


    Guliping, I took a step closer to her. "I understand and admire your loyalty to Bane. Especially against all the odds and his wrongdoings. Of his attitude towards you and the other women who live among so-called rejects," I began, my voice steady despite the tears that streaked down my cheeks. "But this isn''t about picking sides. This is about so much more. It''s about saving lives, about protecting our pack from the darkness that threatens to consume us all the same it has already started consuming the Alpha."


    Her gaze wavered, torn between duty andpassion, and for a fleeting moment, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.


    "You''ve seen the suffering," I continued, my voice softening as I reached out to grasp her trembling hands. "You know what''s at stake. We can''t afford to turn a blind eye any longer. If someone doesn''t do something about this, we all will go down with him. Don''t you want to see the pack children grow up and have a future? Don''t you want to help him get better and bring Aife back?"


    Silence hung heavy in the air as udia fought with her inner turmoil, the weight of my words bearing down upon her like an unyielding burden.


    Finally, with a resigned sigh, she met my gaze, determination shing in her eyes. "I''ll help you," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath. "Not for you, but for Beta Zion''s life, for our Alpha. For the future of our pack." Relief flooded through me at her decision, gratitude swelling in my chest for her reluctant but firm support. "Thank you," I breathed, tears of gratitude mingling with those of sorrow as the weight of our shared burden lifted, if only slightly, from my shoulders.


    udia didn''t add a word, letting the silence drag in. The sudden sense of relief that flooded through me just seconds ago faded, soon reced by a sense of unease. She had imed she would help me, yet didn''t offer answers to my questions? How was she nning to help then?


    Figuring that she most likely needed a moment to gather her thoughts, I focused on counting. It was better that I could follow the time as it went by rather than getting lost in my thoughts.


    Since the fear of her refusal to help wasn''t my sole focus anymore, it was reced by a brand new fear - any moment now, someone could arrive to check on us. If not Bane himself, one of his minions would, most likely the creepy one we met in the kitchen.


    As if udia could sense the shift in the air around us, her eyes widened in realization. "We''re wasting too much time in silence, aren''t we?" She whispered.


    I nodded, turned around and started walking towards the living room. If nothing else, at least we could pretend that we were doing something. "Yes, sorry, I''m so slow these days. Pregnancy really is taking a toll on me." I spoke loudly, just in case someone camped outside and eavesdropped on our conversation.


    "It''s fine, my dear. For some, the magic of growing life inside their body feels more like a nightmare than fairytale. I''ve watched many pregnancies progress, each of them different from the other," udia reassured me, catching on my intent and speaking too loud.


    Once she caught up with me, she grabbed a hold of my upper arm and pulled me closer to her to whisper, "make sure you have a set of curtains around, your fear might have a reason. I think I heard someone close by the door, probably listening in."


    "Thank you for being so understanding, it''s been very difficult, but I don''t dare toin out loud. I''m not the first woman ever to get pregnant, I''m sure others have had it worse," I spoke, letting my voice ring though the room and words echo back at us.


    "I don''t have answers, but I know where you can find those. The library, dark green book with golden edges. Look at page ny-nine and read every second word." udia whispered and then cleared her throat to focus back on the fake part of the conversation. "I understand. Shall we get to work to ensure the dust doesn''t make your days into an even worse experience then?"

 27: Set him free.

    **Zion


    pov**


    The cold, damp walls of the cell pressed in around me, suffocating me with their oppressive presence as I held my breath and waited for the footsteps to echo against the hall walls.


    I could feel the ache down to my bones, the sting of every bruise and cut that adorned my battered body. But, amidst the pain, there was something else, something far more dangerous lurking in the shadows.


    Bane.


    The mere thought of his name sent a shiver down my spine, a bitter reminder of the betrayal that had torn our pack apart for good. Long gone was my best friend, the one person I could trust my life with. There were days I would stop a bullet for him, but now, as he finally stood before me, I couldn''t help but feel disgusted by his presence.


    He was nothing but a twisted reflection of the friend I once knew, his eyes gleaming with malice as he silently taunted me in my weakest moment. A moment he had created for nothing but his sick pleasure. "Bane," I spat his name like venom, unable to hide the disgust in my voice. "What do you want?"


    He had an ability to get the worst out of me, that much was clear. I couldn''t utter a decent sentence to the woman I loved with all my heart, but to him, I could ask questions. How unfair was that?


    A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, a cruel twist of his lips that sent cold, dreadful shivers down my spine. "Just thought I could pay a visit to my old friend, see if you''re gettingfortable in your new, upgraded amodations." So, he didn''t return to get more of his anger out on me then. He wasn''t here to torture me. In a sense, he wasn''t, at least physically. Instead, he decided that taunting me would be the best approach to show me where I stood.


    I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain that shot through my jaw the moment I did. Despite the fact that I couldn''t fucking move, the urge to strike out at him was bing nearly overwhelming. Too bad I knew I couldn''t open the cell door even if I tried. Also, I knew better than to give in to my anger, knew that violence would only serve to feed the darkness that now consumed him. What was left of him..


    I used to love Bane more than anyone, just to turn around and have that bite my damn ass. My love, respect and loyalty was what brought me here. I put so much trust in him and he.. He decided to give up, to fucking stop fighting.


    Swallowing the bitterness, I looked up at him. "What happened to you, Bane?" I asked, my voiceced with sorrow more than anger. If my best friend was somewhere in there still, he would hear me. "You were always so strong, so fucking noble. How could you let yourself be consumed by this.. this curse?"


    His coldughter echoed through the cells, a hollow sound that chilled me to the bone. "You wouldn''t understand, Zion. You have always been too weak, too stupid, too damn obsessed with yourself to notice him changing. You are too soft to embrace the true power that lies within us. And that is whatnded you here - alone, beaten, bruised, fucking miserable."


    I shook my head, refusing to let his words break me. Refusing to give him enough power to make me question myself and my abilities. I was a good Beta, a great warrior and an understanding, supportive friend. I had lived my life to my best ability, not letting anyone ruin it or take over me.


    "Power?" I snorted out the word. "Is that what you call this? You have be nothing more than a puppet. A fucking ve to the darkness that consumes you. You, once great Alpha Bane, are nothing but a vessel for that fuckward to use as his toy. Worse than a fuckingmunity dildo, handed from hand to hand without a care for a quick rinse."


    Bane sneered, his gaze darkening with fury. "Watch your tongue, Beta. You may be imprisoned now, but I still hold the power here. I can take your ability to speak since I was the one who let you keep it."


    I met his gaze with defiance, refusing to cower before him. "You may hold my body captive, Bane, but you will never break my spirit. And as long as there is breath in my lungs, I will fight against the darkness that threatens to consume us all. Your bloodline can go rot in hell for all I care, but the people, your fucking people, they don''t deserve to pay the price of the sins that are not theirs!"


    For a moment, there was a flicker of something in his eyes, a hint of the friend I once knew buried beneath theyers of darkness. But it was gone in an instant, reced once more by the cold, empty gaze of a man lost to his own demons. "Very well, Zion," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "We shall see how long that spirit of yourssts in the face of true power. Don''t miss me too much yet, I need to visit someone special and I''ll return back to you in no time." A sick smile spread across his lips as he pointed at the metal bucket inside my cell, "be a good boy and do your business before I return, I''m sure neither of us would like to watch a grown man piss himself."


    With that, he turned and stalked away, leaving me alone once more in the darkness. My heart hammered in my chest as I feared that Bane was on his way to find my mate. How else could he break me? I had one weakness and that was the woman who had snuck in here to steal the weakest of ghost kisses and remind me that I was loved.


    As I watched him go, I knew I wouldn''t give in, no matter how much he taunted or tortured me. No matter how powerful the darkness might seem, I would always believe in the light, in the hope that one day Bane would find his way back to


    us.


    I had no idea what could make him fight against this, but there had to be something. Even beaten, out of breath, I managed to look up at the ceiling of the cell and whisper, "please, Moon Goddess, the mother of all living, send your mercy upon us. Whatever he did, I beg you, spare us. Find forgiveness and set him free. Bane isn''t a monster, he has never been. Don''t give the darkness power to consume him for good. Set him free."

 28: Good luck.

    **Aife


    pov**


    "First, I would like to personally congratte you on the wonderful news. Bringing in a new life in this world is always as difficult as it is magical experience," the doctor beamed at me as she sat on the chair and scribbled something in her


    notebook.


    "Thank you," I whispered, pulling at the strings of the hospital gown. I had no idea why I had to wear one since the doctor arrived at the house Killian had arranged for me, but I suppose she was more used to the hospital setting anyway. With her, came many different machines and cold metal objects which mostly reminded me of pliers mechanics used to fix engines. Not that I dared to question anything - I was sure this woman knew what she was doing. "Now, we should focus on everything else. I brought a couple of packs of vitamins with me, but the amount I had on hand won''t be enough for the entire pregnancy, so you''ll have to purchase some. Make sure you don''t skip meals but also don''t give into every craving you have - bnce is the key." She muttered, eyes still trained on the notebook.


    "Okay," I agreed, nodding my head.


    While this pregnancy wasn''t a nned one, I still wanted my baby to be born healthy and strong. I would rather prefer to have Bane at my side, see his eyes twinkle with happiness, but I couldn''t get everything I wanted, right? Sometimes life just didn''t go as nned.


    "Alpha mentioned you are moving away, is that correct?" The doctor asked, now looking at me with one eyebrow arched.


    I had no idea why, but I blushed under the intensity of her gaze. All I managed was to nod in agreement, words stuck in my throat, refusing to leave me.


    The sigh that left her was heavy, definitely annoyed, and dare I say.. worried?


    "I wouldn''t advise you to leave the pack grounds. I''m not saying that as a pack member or as Alpha''s friend, I''m sharing my opinion as a medical specialist." She started, not meeting my gaze. "It''s a tricky situation, sorry. It would be best if I didn''t speak of it." I quickly exined before she went into more details about her suggestions.


    While I understood that I was at high risk the moment I chose to fight for this baby, it didn''t mean I was willing to listen to the best doctors out there. Everyone knew how dangerous it was for Lunas to give birth to pure-blood Alpha heirs and so did I.


    And yet, I didn''t care. The baby I carried under my heart was as much Bane''s blood as it was mine. Perhaps that was why this mess was soplicated - an Alpha having a child with another Alpha, yeah, that was unheard of.


    The doctor sucked in a sharp breath and chuckled. "I understand. In that case, don''t let me hold you back for any longer then. Alpha mentioned you are leaving shortly after our appointment and since I can promise that the baby is developing as it should and there are no immediate health risks, I think you are free to go."


    She offered me a gentle, sympathetic smile that didn''t reach her eyes. It had to be hard for someone who had dedicated their entire life to taking care of others to see someone tantly ignore her suggestions.


    "Thank you," I muttered and got to my feet to reach for my clothes. Honestly, I was dying to get out of here, away from the clutches of the doctor, no matter how pure her intentions here. However, before I could snatch the pile of clothing and get out, the doctor grabbed my hand to stop me. As I looked at her, I noticed tears welling up in her eyes, yet no words passed her lips. Frowning, I waited for anything she wanted to say, but every time she opened her mouth, she quickly shut it. After a couple of times, the doctor gave up, shook her head and let go of me with a weak, "sorry."


    Cautiousness got the best of me. I couldn''t help but push the matter. If she could tell me something that was important enough to go against her Alpha''smands - I had to know. "Tell me," I whispered, silently praying she could ovee her loyalty to Killian and warn me.


    Her eyes scanned the room, as if she was looking for cameras or spy devices and then, met mine again. "I shouldn''t, sorry." Was all she said.


    Again, I understood her loyalty and need to follow whatever her Alpha said, but this pulling and pushing bullshit was getting on my nerves. I knew the words I was about to speak were chosen as a dirty game, but something had to be said before it was toote.


    "Patient confidentiality, does it exist in this pack?"


    The doctor''s eyes widened as she slowly nodded her head.


    "Great, in that case, you can tell me anything. Whatever is said in this room stays in this room. You are a doctor before you are a pack member, so I believe this information won''t reach the Alpha. Can I trust you that much?" I crossed my arms in front of my chest and did my best to look a little threatening - stern enough for her to understand the severity of this situation.


    "You can trust me, of course you can. And you are right, before everything, I am a medical specialist so everything we discuss stays between us."


    "There you go. So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" I whispered, trying to make her feel a little morefortable around me.


    And again, she scanned the room. This time, she took a little longer until she was satisfied. Then, the doctor stood up and stepped a little closer to me to lean in and whisper, "this is hical, I know, but you must understand that my wordse from a ce of great concern. While you must be aware of somemon knowledge - carrying an Alpha''s child is a dangerous process, there are more details I should warn you about. Can you promise me not to freak out?" "I promise," I blurted out without thinking.


    "Alright," she breathed out. "It''s not only the risk for your own health, it''s the outside risks. Alphas often try to target other Alphas by attacking Lunas and their children, especially unborn ones. I''m worried about you because your Alpha has a massive target on his back. A target that is now ced on yours too. If anyone finds out about your baby - I can''t imagine the consequences. This is the hical part," she muttered, ced something in my hand and forced my hand into a tight fist. "If worsees to happen and you''re captured, they will do unthinkable things to you. Some Alphas have ripped unborn children out of their mothers and killed them in front of their mother''s eyes. And that''s not the worst yet. I won''t go into details, just know that the pill I gave you - keep it on you at all times."


    "What is it for?" I frowned, wondering where she was going with these eerie warnings.


    "Suicide. Good luck, Aife. You''ll need it." The doctor muttered and turned her back on me to leave the room without looking back.

 29: Beta’s bastard.

    pov**


    **Bane "You need to stop whatever you''re doing there," I hissed, barely holding onto the consciousness.


    Time had passed, that much I knew, but I couldn''t figure how much time. Days morphed into one big mess. That wasn''t surprising since all I could see was darkness - never ending, thick and fucking inviting. Every moment, I had to fight myself not to give in. The more I fought the louder it whispered in my ears, inviting me to join and be free of the pain, the torture.


    I knew it was a bad idea to give in - if I ever did, there was no way back and he would win. For as long as I fought against the temptation, there was hope for my pack, for my future and my mate.


    The only issue was that for as long as I kept fighting, I didn''t have the energy to fight the fucker who used my body as his own and regain the control.


    How did I get here? How did I fall so deep and end up in the only ce I never wanted to be?


    "Bane, oh, Bane, my boy, look at us. Look at what I have to offer," heughed.


    For a brief moment, he granted me a slight view of myself in the mirror. It wasn''t long enough for me to fully take in the details, but I got enough to notice the change before the darkness took over my vision again.


    Now, I wasn''t surprised about every time I heard screams and gasps as this asshole walked through the halls. Around my eyes, the skin was adorned with ck veins, something like a view from a horror movie, but real life. Majority of my eyes had turned ck and some skin on my cheeks and neck had started ckening too. If I didn''t figure something out and fast, soon I would be a coal man.


    "Aren''t we glorious, my boy? Have you grasped the true potential of the power I''m offering yet?" Heughed, taunting me and my inability to push him back where he belonged.


    For some reason, I thought back to my childhood days, right when I first learned of the curse. I was young, naive and honestly, pretty stupid. I remembered how sure I was about this curse being a fairytale. After all, I didn''t feel it affecting me back then.


    What I didn''t know was that for as long as my father lived, it really didn''t affect me. The moment Iid his body into the ground - this thing hopped from the dead vessel to a new one.


    The change came slowly, which I took as a slight flu, not an actual problem. In fact, I used to boast to everyone that I would be the first one who managed to avoid the curse and that wouldn''t change me.


    Well, look where that thinking brought me, right?


    "Ah, don''t ignore me. Isn''t it nice to have someone to talk to? It gets lonely back there, doesn''t it? I would know, my boy. The darkness feeds you, but it doesn''t speak to you once you ept it and learn how to thrive in it. I''m sure you''re hearing it whisper to you, it has already epted you as their own, there''s no point in fighting back anymore."


    I didn''t want to listen, but did I have a choice? All this talking was nothing but another tool he used to humiliate me and remind me that he came out on top after all.


    How foolish it was of me to think that I could fight it.. Even my best friend, my second-inmand and Beta, the only man who had ever believed in me, ended up in a ditch, imprisoned and tortured simply because he believed I was strong enough to fight this monster.


    And then, unexpectedly, the thought of Aife crossed my mind. I still clung onto the images in my memories - those of her smile and her soft voice. Her feather-like touch and the gentle feeling of her lips against mine. Fuck, the heat of her body and the warmth of her embrace.


    The things I would do to experience just a brief moment of what we shared just once more..


    "Have you forgotten I hear your thoughts, boy?" The monsterughed, still refusing to grant me another moment of eyesight.


    He was walking somewhere, moving fast like a man on a mission. "I can''t believe you. After everything I have done for you, everything I have to literally shove down your throat to show you your true potential, you''re still hung up on some unworthy woman. It''s always the same thing with this fucked-up bloodline, you boys refuse to understand that women are below us. Those breathing incubators serve only a few purposes - to satisfy your animalistic needs, birth sons and shut the fuck up." He growled, growing irritated.


    A part of me loved the fact that just mere thought of the woman I loved could set him off like this, but the other part feared the consequences. He was unpredictable, a ticking time bomb - anyone could suffer if I didn''t tone it down. The only issue was that once I thought of her, I felt like I still had some hope left. For her, I was ready to do whatever, even if it came to killing myself to rid her world of the monster that haunted me.


    "I would like to see you try!" The monster roared and soon after, I heard the sound of something heavy crashing against the wall and shattering into pieces.


    While I had no idea where we were, I could tell the object of his anger was a piece of furniture. At least it wasn''t anyone living, suffering the consequences that should be only mine to bear.


    No, honestly, these consequences - nobody but that fucker deserved them. He was the one who challenged and pissed off the Goddess, not me or those who suffered through this nightmare before me. Because of this fool, the entire bloodline was cursed and had to suffer through years on end.


    "It was her fucking fault, don''t me me for some bitchy woman getting pissy because of her period! Selene is just as low as any other whore working on the streets. She too should learn her ce. She is no Goddess of mine. Remember my words, boy, the day wille when the bitch gets off her high horse and returns here to face true power. Once she does, once she grows the fucking balls she needs for that I will be ready, waiting to kill her and take the ce that should be taken by a man who knows how to lead this shitshow. One day, you will learn how to kneel in front of greater power, even if I must wipe off the entire world to see you break."


    Officially lost his mind. All the time he spent in this darkness had taken anymon sense from that monster and reced it with delusions.


    "But first," heughed. "First, we need to get rid of that Beta''s bastard. No way will I ever allow cats and dogs to cross breed. I can''t believe you looked past it and let this happen. Today, we implemented changes. Today, I will erase all of your wrongdoings and fix the mistakes you made. I will fix the mistake that ipetent bitch made by pairing a cat and a wolf. Watch a true Alpha at work."

 30: This isn’t the first time.

    **Aife


    pov**


    By the time Jonathan strode inside the house, I had already managed to get dressed in my own clothes and hidden the pill inside the pocket of the jeans I was wearing.


    His smile was so bright, it could light up any ce, but sadly, it was evident that the smile was forced. Jonathan wasn''t genuinely happy - he was worried about something and tried to hide it. Once he got close enough, I didn''t hold back from questioning him. "What''s going on?"


    The moment the question left my lips, the smile faded and his eyes widened. Jonathan raised his hands and took a step back, "woah, hold your horses, what''s with the instant attack? What makes you think anything is going on?" I raised an eyebrow at him and gave him the ''really'' look, waiting for Jonathan toe clean. I didn''t like it when people underestimated me and even more, I disliked it when they took me for a fool. I had eyes and senses - fooling me wasn''t nearly as easy as everyone assumes.


    "Alright," he dropped his hands to his sides and let out a heavy breath. "Maybe something is going on, but that''s as much as I''m willing to share. Aife, you can''t stress about anything, it''s bad for the baby."


    I could appreciate it that he was trying to look out for me, but he was approaching it in the wrong way. While Jonathan might think that what I didn''t know didn''t hurt me, in fact, it did. Now, I knew I wouldn''t stop thinking about it until I found out what was wrong.


    Running a hand though my hair, I closed my eyes and took a few breaths to ground myself. "Joanthan," I started, his nameing out harsher than I intended. "You need to understand that while I get your intentions are pure and your heart is at the right ce - you''re failing in keeping me calm. I won''t stop thinking about this, and that, in turn, will stress me out more than you can imagine."


    As I opened my eyes, I noticed how his facial expression changed with realization. "Shit," he cursed under his breath, looking so out of ce it was almost entertaining. "I didn''t think about it."


    "Sure you didn''t," I snapped back without thinking.


    Thankfully, Jonathan didn''t seem to be a person who held a grudge and instead of returning the attitude, heughed. Theugh was nervous, but nevertheless still somewhat amused.


    "Would it be okay with you if I promised to tell you everything once we reach our new home?" Jonathan offered, hope beaming in his eyes.


    Since I didn''t have any other choice, I agreed. I preferred to find out what was going onter over never anyway.


    Also, the fact that Jonathan instantly looked less tense and happier helped too. He didn''t waste a second to ask me where my bags were, which weren''t much - most of the suitcases Killian brought were filled with different clothing he had gotten from the pack women and some bathroom products.


    I pointed a finger at the suitcases in the corner of the room and Jonathan was more than d to take them to the car.


    Stepping outside the house, I expected to see Killian for onest time, but he wasn''t here. Sensing my confusion, Jonathan nced over his shoulder and offered a weak smile, "he said he will try to get here before we leave, which gives him about five minutes from now, but Alpha couldn''t make any promises. He has spent so much time away from the pack, work has been piling up, waiting for his return."


    I nodded. "That''s understandable. Has everything been arranged already? Are you sure we will have a roof over our heads? I don''t mind sleeping on the ground and watching the stars before I fall asleep, but that won''t be a good idea for long term arrangements. At one point, as the baby grows, I think my back will kill me." I chuckled, adding some light to the situation.


    "Don''t worry," Jonathan muttered as he ced the first suitcase inside the trunk. "We have a small but cozy house waiting for us. You''ll have a separate bedroom and I''ll take the couch. Before you protest, let me stress that the couch isfortable as hell. You might even try to steal my spot. This isn''t the first time I''m staying there."


    Those words actually calmed me a little. If nothing else, at least he knew where we were going and if Jonathan had spent a night there already, the ce had to be safe to live in.


    Just as I parted my lips to voice those thoughts, a car raced down the road towards us.


    Jonathan nced in the direction of the slick, ck Mercedes and grinned. "There he is, the man of the day. He could free some time to see us before we go after all."


    My eyes darted between the nearing car and Jonathan. Oh, for sure, he had a massive crush on his Alpha. And oddly enough, against everything I had learned about Killian with the deal he made with my father, I had a feeling the big bad Alpha had a soft spot for his driver too.


    If it wasn''t like that, I couldn''t think of an exnation as to why as soon as a panicked-looking Killian stopped the car and jumped out of it, his eyes instantly found Jonathan and relief crossed his features.


    I stood aside and watched Killian stride straight to Jonathan and pull the smaller man into a tight, almost bone-crushing hug. "I thought I was toote, had to speed to get here on time before you leave," he muttered as I pretended I didn''t hear him.


    These two had been acting weird around me, so to make them both morefortable, I kept acting like I was oblivious to the obvious attraction and the tension that surrounded those two.


    "I just told Aife there was a fifty-fifty chance of you arriving," Jonathan choked out, struggling to breathe.


    The mention of my name was enough to pull Killian out of the weird daze. He let go of Jonathan and nearly jumped away from him as if he was hit with a surge of electricity.


    Watching his reaction, I quickly averted my gaze and stared at the tree tops, pretending that I had noticed something. Once I felt their gazes on me, I spoke, "I think I saw an owl. Do they fly around during the day or were my eyes tricking me?" Soon after the words left me, Jonathan and Killianughed, finally acting a little less tense. Returning my gaze to them, I smiled, happy to see that the grumpy Alpha didn''t look like he was caughtmitting a crime anymore. Killian cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "Are you ready to go?"


    I wasn''t. Honestly, I wasn''t ready for all the changes that had happened in my life in the past couple of months, but I had to pretend that I was for the greater good. Fake it till you make it.


    "Yes, as ready as I''ll ever be," I announced and approached him. "A hug for goodbye?" I asked, opening my arms to embrace the man who was going above and beyond for me. It was hard to believe that just months ago, this same man was willing to buy me like a loaf of bread just to hide me away from the danger now that I was carrying the child of his enemy.


    And that was when it hit me. I blindly trusted Killian because he didn''t give me a reason to doubt him, and yet, his own doctor handed me a pill that was burning my skin through my jeans now. I couldn''t trust anyone, especially an Alpha who knew I was carrying an Alpha''s child..

 31: For Zion.

    **K pov**


    Something was wrong. My skin felt like it was crawling, trying to peel off my muscles and there was this weird, sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.


    As if the feeling wasn''t bad enough, I wasn''t the only one who felt it. udia had stopped dead in her tracks, frozen, her face void of color. "What''s wrong?" I whispered the question, looking around the house as if a demon was about to appear out of nowhere and burn us both alive. udia ced a finger over her lips and held her breath, listening to something I couldn''t catch. After a few seconds, her eyes widened in something I could describe only as pure horror. "No," she whispered as tears started streaming down her cheeks.


    Panic surged through me, my heart nearly stopped in my chest and my hands shook as I tried to reach out for the terrified woman. "udia, what''s going on? Are you okay?" I whispered, fearing something I didn''t know. Her teary eyes met mine as an emotion shed in them and disappeared. "Do you have any idea why Beta Zion chose this house as the one to raise his family in?" She asked, panic and determination prating her words.


    A little taken aback, I shook my head. Zion had imed he liked the view around this house and the fact that it was a little more secluded than others. My mate had made a point that privacy was his main worry, so I never questioned if there was more to his choice than the few things he mentioned.


    "He chose this house because while he always believed in our Alpha and his ability to fight the darkness, Beta Zion knew the risk was always there. Under this building, there are endless underground tunnels that can be used in case you have to escape," she sounded calm and panicked at the same time.


    "What does it have to do with me now?" I asked, a little lost to the point she was trying to make.


    "Everything," udia hissed and grabbed my upper arms with such strength, I knew they would bruise, "it has to do everything with you, K. You must use those tunnels and leave. I will lie for you, I promise I will, but you must escape before he gets here. You don''t have much time. Grab a snack and get out."


    With each word that left her, more panic filled me. "Before who gets here?"


    "Alpha Bane," udia hissed. "Not the Alpha himself, but the monster. He left the main building, and one of my girls heard the monster scream he''s heading here to get rid of Beta''s baby. If you have any true love in your heart for our Beta, you will leave and protect his child. You will save the baby."


    There it was, the exnation for the dead and the sinking feeling. Those had to be my protective instincts finally kicking in, warning me about the impending danger.


    "Show me the tunnels and if you have any idea about the direction, can you please tell me how I can get the closest to the ck magic forest? I can hide with the witches. They might hate me, but they will never hurt a pregnant woman. They can protect the baby for the time being," I pleaded.


    As much as I hated the thought of leaving Zion at the monster''s mercy, I knew I had no choice. If my mate was here, he would send me to the tunnels and give his life for his child. This baby was the only ray of hope for better days we still had. And besides, I also knew that I took the risk and remained where I stood, Zion would never forgive me if anything happened to our child. Especially, if he found out that I had been warned and still chose to take the risk. Just knowing that I had a chance to save the baby and ignored it would kill him.


    "Follow me," udia muttered. "If he isn''t rushing, we have about ten minutes to get down here and for me to return. I will tell him you went for a walk into the woods or something. That will win you some time," she exined the n as she led me towards the basement door.


    Perhaps I didn''t know about those tunnels because I had never stepped my foot into the basement? Every time Zion opened that door, I was overwhelmed by the stench of mold and refused to get close. Basements had always reminded me of wet and yucky ces like caves, so I never bothered to explore.


    Honestly, I wasn''t wrong about my assumptions because as udia led me down the stairs, I nearly emptied my stomach. The stench was so overwhelming, if it weren''t for the danger, I would have ran back upstairs and pretended I never entered the ce. I could taste the stench at the back of my throat.


    Once we finally reached the end of the stairs, udia gripped my hand and pulled me towards the darkest of the corners. She forced something in my hands and then reached down to open a hidden door that led into the tunnels. "Turn on the shlight, Beta Zion always charges them to ensure they''re ready for use. The bag I gave you - it has a couple of shlights just in case, a map for the tunnels and I think some dry snacks along with a bottle of water. Those shouldst you for a couple of hours. Get down there and head straight ahead until the first turn, then check the map and follow the directions. The journey to the forest shouldn''t take you longer than a couple of hours." udia said.


    I was about to thank her but before I could, she nced over her shoulder, let out a shaky breath and then returned her attention to me. Her arms wrapped around me in a firm yet gentle hug that was as warm as a true mother''s embrace. "Stay safe, K. Keep the baby safe and don''t return until Beta Ziones for you. Can you promise me that?"


    "Yes," I whispered, forcing down the sudden sadness that hit me like a wall of bricks.


    udia held me for a few seconds and then quickly stepped away to wipe tears off her cheeks. The hug ended too soon, so abruptly, I instantly missed it. "Keep your promise. You must go now, don''t waste the little time you have." "Thank you." There was so much I wanted to say but couldn''t, so following her instructions, I turned on the shlight and jumped down into the tunnel.


    The ce was as scary as one would imagine a tunnel to be, but once udia closed the heavy metal door, it became at least a hundred times worse. I couldn''t focus on the fear that would only hold me back, so I took a calming breath and started right ahead. For our baby, for Zion.

 32: The right choice.

    **udia


    pov**


    As I watched K jump into the tunnel and closed the door to hide her whereabouts, I knew I had just signed my death certificate with my own doings. But also, I knew that I would have done the same thing for Aife if it came to it. Besides, I had lived a pretty fulfilling life even in the captivity of this pack and reached a very honorable age. There wasn''t much I could do with my life or live for anymore. If this was the end of my road, at least it ended with me, doing the right thing.


    Walking up the stairs, I listened to the girls muttering something through our personal mind-link. Some were asking if I was okay while the rest cried about the Alpha losing his mind and screaming at the mirror.


    Once I reached the top of the stairs and closed the basement door, I used the master''s key Beta Zion had trusted me with and locked the door, making it look like it hadn''t been open since Beta was here.


    Then, I returned to the task K had made up to get me here and used myst minutes thinking about good memories I had made before this day. Some were about my old family and most surrounded my new family - the girls and this pack. It couldn''t have been more than five minutester when I heard the knock on the door. At first, I thought it had to be one of the guards because the monster didn''t knock, but once I rushed to open it and faced the Alpha with ck eyes, I realized I had been fooled by my own assumptions.


    "Good day, Alpha," I greeted him and bowed before I stepped aside and opened the door wider, "please,e in. Would you like coffee or tea?"


    While I was a little surprised by my ability to act as if nothing was wrong, I managed to hide it before the monster noticed anything.


    What didn''t surprise me at all was the wide smile across his lips and the words that followed, "finally I have found a pack member that isn''t as brainless as the rest of those fools and knows how to show respect to their superior. I''m surprised it''s a reject bitch who knows their ce but I suppose something is way better than nothing at all."


    This part of Alpha Bane had made it clear throughout the years that he harbored insane hatred for women, so I didn''t pay any attention to those words. Deep down, I knew that our true Alpha wasn''t like this, he wasn''t a hateful man who had no respect for his people at all.


    Once he stepped inside, I closed the door and averted my gaze to the floor. I had heard doing so was a sign of respect many years ago and this thing was older than time so that knowledge proved to be useful.


    The man walked into the living room and dropped his heavy body on the sofa as if he owned the ce. His eyes scanned the room until they set on the half of the curtains I managed to change for a new set. "Almost done here?" He chuckled as if mocking my ability to do a task I''ve been given.


    "Yes, Alpha." I muttered, still staring at the floor.


    "Shouldn''t you be done with this already?" He sounded impatient and irritated, so I had to choose my words wisely.


    While it was a massive risk, I decided to use this moment to ease into the lie I told K I would use once this bastard would start questioning me about her whereabouts.


    "It''s taking a little longer since I''m doing everything alone, Alpha. If I had someone to help me, I would have been done long ago," I spoke a little louder, hoping that made me sound more confident and truthful.


    "Ah, is that so?" He hummed, clearly not asking for an actual answer. "Where''s the Beta''s bitch then? Wasn''t she supposed to be a part of whatever the fuck you two are supposed to do here?" And there it was - the real question. Clearing my throat, I braced myself for whatever was toe and spoke, "she went for a walk. Miss K has beenining about pregnancy pains and sickness for a while. Since I agreed toe here and help while I had a little off time, she decided to use the chance and get some fresh air in the woods. She left about five or so minutes before your arrival, Alpha."


    Once the words were out, they hung in the air as tense silence surrounded us. At one point, the silence paired with his presence made me feel like it was suffocating me.


    Anger radiated off him, so as thest ditch effort, I dropped to my knees and bowed to him, "I must apologize, Alpha. If I had any idea about your ns to visit this house, I wouldn''t have let her leave for the walk. I understand this is highly disrespectful for any pack member and I am taking the responsibility for the part of the unfortunate situation I am to be med for."


    After another tense moment of silence, he rose to his feet and chuckled. "I must admit I like bitches who know their ce as close to the fucking floor as possible," he spoke in a tone that dripped with venom. I had an inkling that he might do something, but the blow to my ribs came out of nowhere, so unexpected, I barely held back the scream of agonizing pain that threatened to escape me. "Stay here and wait for that whore to return. Pray shees back at all. If you don''t drag her ass to the main building in two hours, consider yourself dead." He snarled and kicked me again, this time, forcing a cry out of me.


    It seemed that he really enjoyed my cries because theughter that left him overpowered the sounds of pain I made.


    Tears streamed down my cheeks and my ribs ache in waves of intense pain as I tried to focus on the sound of his footsteps until I heard the door open and m shut.


    Once I was convinced he was far away, I let out the scream I was holding in and wailed in pain. I knew this would happen, mentally I was ready for that, but physically, yeah that waspletely different.


    Somehow, I managed to roll over andy on my back, staring at the ceiling as if it had the answers to my prayers. The pain didn''t subside, if anything, it became more intense and spread to the rest of my body. Despite all that, I couldn''t help but smile. Even knowing I was surely about to die within a few hours, if I could turn back the time, I still would do the same thing. I made the right choice.

 33: To help, not bring misery.

    **Aife pov**


    Drive was silent. Rtively, at least.


    Every once in a while, Jonathan checked on me and offered me to stop and grab some snacks because ording to him, his mother ate like a beast when she was expecting. This side of the sulky driver was endearing. No wonder Killian was so close to the man who wouldn''t like someone with such intense nurturing, caring side to them? After the third hour in the car, I groaned and tried to stretch out my legs, only to be met with the fact that the simple task was impossible. "Jonathan," I nced at him. "Yes?" He shed me a smile, as if he knew what was on my mind already.


    "Could we stop for a moment? I just need to stand upright for a bit, my feet are killing me for some reason," I added theint just to ensure he wouldn''t protest. To my surprise, he instantly stopped the car at the side of the road and groaned. "Thank fuck, I thought this moment would nevere. With Alpha, we stop every two hours just to stretch and walk around a little long drives are killing me."


    I was more than d to learn that I wasn''t the only one who was suffering. Plus, I really didn''t want to be a burden this early in pregnancy. I knew in a few months, my situation and the toll of pregnancy on my body would be way worse, so I had to be on my best behavior.


    As we got out of the car, I almost moaned when my feet hit the ground. Never had I thought standing up could feel this darn wonderful.


    Jonathan appeared at my side and handed me a bottle of water, opening his own and chugging it down as if he hadn''t had any in years.


    The silence we shared wasforting. Maybe at the beginning, he didn''t like me, but we had foundmon ground and reached an understanding of sorts that didn''t force us at each other''s throats.


    "You''re way different from what I initially thought you are, Aife," he muttered, breaking the silence.


    From the corner of my eye, I could see that he wasn''t looking at me at all. Jonathan''s eyes were trained on something in the distance, as if he wasn''t fully present with me here.


    "How so?" I asked, mindlessly.


    Jonathan didn''t show much emotion, despite the amused chuckle that left him. "I suppose I based my opinion about you on how I see your crazy family. Assumptions are unhealthy, I know, but mostly, everyone is more or less the same when they live under certain conditions, if that makes sense."


    I hated to admit it, but his words didn''t make sense at all. "No, it doesn''t. Mind exining a little more? I don''t want to misunderstand you or assume anything."


    The smile that spread across his lips was just as blinding as it was surprising. "There, see, there it is - the difference between you and them. You ask questions, you don''t ept anyone''s words at a face value and always question everything. You''re not scared to admit your mistakes or that you didn''t understand something. It''s one of the things I admire about you, Aife. Someone of such high rank as you being so.. So human and real, so damn raw and true."


    I didn''t have words to offer, so I just took a moment to ponder them. However, before I could ask more, Jonathan beat me to it.


    "You''re an enigma. Maybe I haven''t had enough time to figure you out, but I have a feeling that there would never be enough time for that. Even if we grew up and died side by side. You''re unpredictable. I don''t know how to exin this, but I can''t stand your uptight family, sorry not sorry. They irk me. You, on the other hand, you''re so different it almost hurts to see. You''re a fighter, one that doesn''te across as someone who could ever give up or fully rely on someone but yourself. And then, you''re so bloody good, it''s unbelievable. You''re so adamant to see the best in people, you don''t stop seeking that good in them until you''re hurt, broken beyond repair and yet, you keep going - looking, breaking the barriers to get to what you want. You fight for what you believe is right."


    He couldn''t actually mean this. I wasn''t that much different from everyone else, maybe the only thing that told me apart from others was my experiences - that was all.


    "Thank you for having such high thoughts about me, I''m really ttered, even though I don''t deserve your words," I muttered and followed his example by focusing my gaze into the distance.


    "You deserve way more. If you wouldn''t, you would have taken the pill in your pocket," Jonathan added, once again, sounding like he was joking around, not addressing a serious issue.


    The hair on my body stood upright and my eyes widened. How could he have known about the damn pill? Did the doctor tell him or did the pill have a weird stench he caught on?


    Exining why I still had the pill was thest thing on my to-do list, if I was beingpletely honest. Truth be told, I had no idea why I had kept it in the first ce too. Precaution for something? Perhaps.. But for what? No darn idea. All I knew was that I didn''t want to take that pill, I didn''t want to rob my baby of life.


    On an instinct, my hand covered my still t belly, as if I was trying to shelter and cradle the life that was growing within me. This baby was thest bit of my mate I had. The proof that what Bane and I shared was real, not a fruit of my imagination and illusions.


    This baby was the result of our love - as messed up and toxic as it was, it was still love. True, raw, passionate, barbaric even, but only ours to share and know about.


    "How do you know about the pill?" I forced out the words, unsure if this was a territory I wanted to enter with Jonathan, especially after every nice thing he had just said about me.


    Still not looking at me, Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. "Some pack members don''t understand that even while away, Alpha has his eyes on them all. Killian mighte across as an overgrown fool, but he''s a good man who has great values. He wants to help, not bring misery. In his own words - her family had brought enough of that already, thest thing Aife needs is more enemies."

 34: With me or against me.

    **Bane pov** Bane pov


    The fucker was insane. Watching his actions through the thin veil of darkness made me sick to my stomach. Not only was he insulting and demeaning everyone in his way, but now, he also resulted in beating innocent women.


    "Acting as if you''re better than me," the beast grumbled as soon as he stepped outside Zion''s house.


    I couldn''t help but snicker at his words. I was by no means a saint, but I knew I could be if I really tried to be better. I had tried and proved that I could be, if only for Aife.


    "Again that annoying incubator. Tell me, why are you so obsessed with her? Was the pussy so good, so damn addicting that you''re willing to copse and roll over on your back to bare your stomach now? Like a fucking dog, begging to be pet and scratched? An Alpha, he says. Fucking disgusting."


    Ignoring his words was bing increasingly more difficult with every minute that passed. Being stuck with him had always sucked major ass, but now that he was in control, it was even worse.


    Truth be told, the biggest issue I had was the helplessness I felt. I didn''t have any idea how to fight against him, how to force him back into the hole he came from or even how to n it all since he could hear every thought I had. "That''s right and ain''t there a shit thing in hell you can do about it. Face it, Bane, my boy, you''re with me or against me - everything leads to the choice you''ll make."


    I didn''t want to be with him. Since day one, I had always been against him, even in the moments of weakness when he took over me.


    "Are you going to talk to me? Stand up and be the man you''ve always pretended to be? Or am I on timeout right now, being punished with spiteful silent treatment? Tell me, how big of a man do you truly feel by acting like a petty bitch?" He kept taunting me, ignoring the looks he was getting from the pack members as he passed by.


    Sadly, I had noticed how used to the situation all people had be. They knew what the monster was capable of so the most they dared to do was steal a nce at what my body had be.


    "I don''t have anything to discuss with you. Alphas don''t lower themselves to the same level as the scum of society," I replied, feeling a little better for finally voicing my thoughts.


    Arguing with the bastard was a dangerous game. Too dangerous even. There was no saying how he could react or what consequences that might follow my actions.


    Just sitting trapped inside my own mind had to be the greatest punishment I''ve suffered through. The fact alone that I couldn''t help the innocent people this bastard tormented was breaking down every bit of fighting spirit I still had. The more he did, the weaker I felt.


    "You''re not much of an Alpha anymore, or are you?" He said and immediately startedughing.


    I couldn''t help but wonder where was the imaginary line he drew for enough. When enough was truly enough for this monster?


    Goddess knew how much time had passed since he took everything I held dear from me. My pack, my body, my home, thoughts, dreams and most importantly - the woman I loved. He took it all, yet still acted as if that wasn''t enough for him. Every day, he used each chance he had to torment me, to force me deeper into the endless pit of desperation by abusing my people, by ridiculing and beating my best friend to a pulp.


    I believed that Zion''s strength and resistance was what annoyed this fucker the most - no matter how much he roughened up my best friend, Zion still spat in his face and demanded me back. If this wasn''t proof of how amazing and loyal a friend he was, I didn''t know what could be.


    "You''re getting ahead of yourself, Bane. Stop focusing on everyone else but you. Must I remind you that it''s you that has a problem?" He growled, forcing me out of my thoughts.


    Without thinking, I agreed with him. "You''re right. A pest problem."


    We both knew whom I was talking about, but the fucker dly ignored my remark and went off on another tangent while I did my best to block him out.


    Deep down, it disgusted me to know he too shared moments with her. Every touch, caress, kiss and intimate moment we shared - he was there too and that pissed me off beyond limits.


    "Oh, stop whining like a virgin bitch and look at everything from a more positive angle. Bane, you''re about to be reunited with your best friend. Isn''t that exciting? Aren''t you looking forward to that?" Heughed.


    Thest thing I wanted was for him to get close to Zion again.


    "That''s exactly why I''m doing it. You don''t want me to and you''re still not breaking in your resolve, I need you to understand it''s about time you give up and let me lead this shitshow you call a pack."


    The only thing that was somewhat positive in my situation was that he never hid his ns. Like the idiot he was, dude had an insanely big mouth, he just couldn''t keep it closed and hold off information.


    He wanted the pack, he wanted the power, he wanted to kill the Goddess to take her influence and for some reason, he needed me for that.


    I couldn''t help but wonder what was the role I yed in his n. Surely, it had to be important if he was so desperate to hold onto me and ensured I didn''t fade away. What if...


    "There, look at you Mister big head, you finally figured it out. You''re an important pawn in my game, don''t downy your importance."


    "Weren''t you the one who constantly imed I didn''t have one?" I broke my walls andughed at the absurdity of his words. "You contradict yourself, old man. Now, I think you havepletely lost your mind. You can''t take what isn''t there."


    I could feel how he shook his head and amusement surged through his entire being. "Stupid boy, I pity you forcking basic understanding when ites to your own being. She pitied you, idiot. She sent you a savior, Selene blessed you with a mate. Now, tell me, smartass, how is that possible if you really don''t have a soul?"

 35: We can’t leave witnesses.

    **K


    pov**


    The tunnels were wet, smelled of mold and there was some weird, sticky substance dripping from the round ceiling. Avoiding it proved to be impossible. I hadn''t walked for more than two hours when I needed to take a moment to breathe and I already felt like there was a wholeyer of mold inside my lungs.


    After I found a rtively dry spot to sit down, I groaned and leaned my head against the cold wall, ignoring the slimy texture covering it.


    My hand slid to my belly, instinctively shielding the baby from the darkness surrounding me. "It''s fine, little one, we''ll be okay. Daddy will be okay too, trust me. Your daddy is a powerful man, he has gone through hell and back, and for us, he will do much more. By the time you arrive, I''m sure he will be there to hold and protect you."


    Closing my eyes, I tried to will myself to believe in the words that left me. What else was I supposed to do? Truth be told, I didn''t believe in myself anymore. I believed Zion, his ability to fight ande out victorious, but my abilities - not so much.


    I was breaking, silently, but still breaking. I was afraid of what tomorrow might bring, the next news and surprises fate had in store for us.


    All I wanted was to be happy, if only for once. And with Zion, I was.. Only fate decided to take him from me far too soon as I wasn''t sure if I could withstand the storm that we called life.


    I sat for God knew how long until a loud bang in the distance scared me so much, I jumped. The sound came from the distance I came from, which meant that someone was following me.


    Fear gripped me nearly instantly. So damn hard that I could barely get back to my feet and take one, shaky step as I tried to see through the darkness. The only one who might follow me was Bane the bastard.


    Again, as my hand hovered over my belly, I realized I had to leave, to find an exit closest to me and flee wherever I could. If it was him and he caught me here, I wouldn''t leave the tunnel - ever.


    Despite being shaky on my legs, I shut off the shlight and held a hand onto the slimy wall as I tip-toed away from the sound. Sure, I was basically rubbing a trail of my scent on the wall as I went, but being silent seemed more important than anything right now.


    I struggled to keep my breathing even as the sound neared me. I wasn''t sure why it was so loud, maybe the limited space made it worse, but at this point, my heart beat so fast in my chest - the sound pounded in my ears, nearly silencing the loud bangs behind me.


    "Come on, K, get a grip, you need to find an exit," I whisper-hissed under my breath, foolishly hoping the sound of my own voice would give me the rush to get out.


    I wanted to protect our baby with all my might, every motherly instinct within me shouted, screamed and scratched at my mind, yet my body kept giving in.


    Never in my life had I felt this terrified, this alone and desperate.


    All I could focus on was how much I needed Zion. How much I missed the sense of safety his presence always gave me, the warmth of his embrace and the calmness behind every word he spoke.


    "You can''t rely on others and you know that," I scolded myself. "Zion is in no position to save you now, you need to focus on saving him after you save yourself. Make him proud, woman!"


    I had no idea where those words came from, but all of them made so much sense. I was right, I had to make him proud, I had to prove that I was strong enough and worthy to be his mate, not someone who was dependent on him.


    My legs started moving faster, the sound of my feet hitting the few puddles in my way still echoing against the walls that were closing in on me, but the loud bangs in the distance sounded further away, not getting closer.


    I couldn''t breathe in relief just yet. If Bane was following me, he might have taken the wrong turn, but soon, he might catch up with me. I had to get out before he got too close.


    "Hold on tight, my baby, soon we''ll find safety, I''ll protect you with my life if needed. Today is not the day we lose our battle, not before we get your father to safety," the words were forced through my teeth, but that only gave me a sense of determination I couldn''t ignore.


    Rounding a corner, I pped a hand over my mouth and quickly took a step back. That wasn''t something I wanted to see at all. There, not too far, stood three women in heavy-looking cloaks hiding their faces, one of them gripping a knife that slit a man''s throat. What the hell was going on?


    Realization hit me sooner than I was ready. Behind me, there was someone raging, breaking something, following me as I tried to escape and right in front were women who most likely performed some sick ritual. I couldn''t believe I was stuck between two equally awful scenarios.


    What was I supposed to do now? Where could I go?


    "Hey, did you hear that?" A woman hissed, her voice growing louder as I listened to her footsteps, nearing me. "I swear I heard steps getting closer. We can''t get caught being here. Didn''t you promise this was a safe ce? Damn it, didn''t you fucking promise?"


    Fear definitely radiated off me as I nearly glued myself to the slimy wall, closed my eyes and bit my tongue, waiting for the disaster to strike.


    "You''re hearing shit, there''s nothing. The noises are still far away, we can get away before whoever is roaming the tunnels gets here. Come on, stop being a nosey bitch and get your shit before we get caught red-handed. We can''t be here, better leave before it''s toote," another woman spoke.


    "Shush, moron," the first one hissed, now even closer to me. "I can feel a presence. Someone''s there, watching us, we can''t leave witnesses."


    This was it. I was dead before I got to see another glimpse of daylight - something I had taken for granted my entire life and now wished I could see just once more.


    "Getting closer, Petra, the sound is getting closer. Quick, grab your shit and let''s leave or we''ll get the hell out of here without you."


    Reluctantly, the woman stepped away, her footsteps fading into distance. At least I thought so.. Until my eyes flew open when a sharp piece of metal was pressed against my neck and a tongue slid over the side of my face.

 36: The cells.

    **Bane


    pov**


    After the information he dropped on me, at first, I couldn''t process it, so I suppose he took my silence as an encouragement to act like the dick he was. The smug fuck-face strode through the halls as if he truly owned the entire ce, not actually stole it from under my damn nose.


    He was so full of himself, I didn''t think he could see his own shit even if people kept repeatedly warning him about it and smell followed him everywhere.


    "About time we go see our dear friend Zion, don''t you think?" He mused, rounding the corner and heading towards the door that still separated him from my best friend.


    Never before had I seen that door as more than just a piece of wood. Now, I saw it as the only barrier that still kept my best friend safe. Safe from me.


    Fucking shit, I hated this all - the life for what it had be due to my inability to fight against the gue that had managed to spread through my body.


    "Not gue, my boy. Trust me, I''m a savior, I will be the one who shows you the direction in which you should go - the right one. All this crying and weak attempts to fight me are useless. The sooner you embrace the darkness, the less painful it will be. Think before you act, Bane, your impulsive nature has brought enough problems to your life, don''t you think?"


    I didn''t need to get lectured by this creep. His sins were none of my concerns, but since he couldn''t admit that he had been wrong, I was the one who had to suffer the consequences of his doings. It was beyond unfair, not that he cared. "You think you are the only one who''s been suffering?" He suddenly snarled and stormed past the door that led to the cells.


    Suddenly, I felt like a massive weight fell from my shoulders and I could finally breathe. The fact that he wasn''t heading to the cells and focused his anger on me, not my best friend, wasforting.


    However, when he stopped in front of one of the mirrors, I realized I had spoken too soon. He wanted to give me another of his grand speeches, demean me and prove I didn''t stand on the same level as he did. "Don''t act so naive," he started, focusing his eyes on the mirror.


    From my point of view, as disgusted as I felt, I could swear he stood there, looking like an angry God.


    Clearly, he was no saint, definitely not holy enough to actually be someone as high, but the fucker wasn''t one to be thrown off his peg as easily as others might have thought.


    "I have other ns," he added, snapping me out of my thoughts. Once he realized I was actually gazing back at him, a wicked smirk spread across his lips, making a cold shiver travel down my spine. If he didn''t have anything to him, at least he rocked the scary look. Bet horror movies with him as a lead role would sell out theaters.


    "Zion, we can say he is my favorite. There is nothing that has given me so much pleasure as the sounds that leave his mouth whenever I get to y with him a little. Let''s say I''ve been holding back from storming down there to build up the suspense. The longer I wait to get there, the better it is."


    The undertone of his voice as he spoke was so sickening, bile rose up to my throat.


    "This whole pack is my ything and no one can do anything to stop me. You know what''s the best thing? We all know nobody will try to stop me - they''re all too scared to hurt their beloved Alpha to ever go against you, even if it''s not you who controls this body. They care about you, even if all that''s left is but a shell of your former self," he announces and startsughing.


    The sound that left his mouth was downright evil, not one of amusement. As it echoed against the walls, it almost made me feel trapped even deeper in the abyss than before.


    "You''re sick," I managed to choke out and looked away from those voidless eyes.


    With every day that passed, I saw less and less of myself in the reflection. My body wasn''t just a shell, it was a dry leftover of what it once was.


    "Sick, but powerful. Who cares about the mental state of a leader? Since when is it important, Bane? Have you ever cared? I don''t think so," heughed.


    There was no use in trying to convince him otherwise. It didn''t matter what or how I said it - he never listened, never cared to look past his own habits and doings, so talking ended up to be nothing but a waste of time. Honestly, the only positive aspect of this shitshow was that I could hold him back from going to Zion.. Or I hoped so.


    He could torment me, break and bend me, but my friends, people I viewed as my family had to remain off limits. This man knew no bounds to his greedy nature and viciousness.


    "Now," he dragged the word and just when my eyes snapped back to the reflection in the mirror, he grinned. Next, he sucked his bottom lip inside his mouth and bit down on it with such force, I felt the painful sting and the blood that ran down in, coating the chin. "Let''s go check on our friend, shall we?" He added, lookingpletely deranged.


    I shook my head, unable to utter a word. Everything he did wasn''t that surprising, but the fucker always found a new way to leave me speechless, catching me off guard with his stupid tricks.


    "That wasn''t a real question, ain''t nothing you can do about it, Bane," he added and started walking back in the direction of the cells.


    With every step, my heart started pounding a little faster in my chest. By the time he gripped the handle, pulled the door open and started descending down the stairs, I felt like I was about to experience a real heart attack because of his actions.


    "Stop ying the drama queen. You won''t die, there won''t be a heart attack or anything of sorts. You''re inside me now, not the other way around. And you, my boy, are far too precious for me to get rid of. For as long as it''s up to me - you''re staying alive."


    Even though I was sure he tried to be reassuring, his words still carried weight to them, like a silent, hidden promise that he had my life in his hands and if he pleased so, there wouldn''t be me anymore.


    Perhaps that would be better. After all, if I died, he would die too. For as long as I managed to ruin his ns and ensure I would never have a son, the curse might be broken. If I ended the bloodline, I would end his existence for good. My thoughts struck a nerve - he started growling and getting down the steps faster, acting more aggressively. If his change in behavior was anything to judge by, I was sure I had found an answer to all my troubles.


    He didn''t bother to greet the guards or go on about the new ns he had for Zion. This time, as soon as his feet hit the floor, the fucker stormed down the hall and headed straight to the cell where my best friend was barely hanging by a thread, holding onto his life like a true warrior.


    Except.. Zion wasn''t there - his cell was empty. We never emptied the cells unless the prisoners died..

 37: He found me.

    **K


    pov**


    The knife broke my skin before I could suck in a breath. I felt the heavy, metallic stench of blood fill my nostrils a secondter and nearly instantly, I got sick to my stomach.


    Pregnancy was weird. I craved odd things, mixed foods that weren''t supposed to go together and got sick from the smells that didn''t fit the baby''s liking. Blood, for example. The stench had never bothered me before, but now, all of a sudden, I felt like I had to empty my stomach or else it would get worse.


    "Look at what we have here, a pretty little rat, is she?" The woman snarled as she ran her tongue over the cut on my throat,pping up the blood. "Not a rat, a kitty she is." She hummed and pulled away the knife.


    I couldn''t believe she could tell who I was based on the taste of my blood, but from what I already saw, it was clear this woman wasn''t any other, regr human. She had to be a witch or something.


    "I prefer sorceress, but if your simpleton mind can''tprehend the meaning behind the word, go with a witch. Who cares? Anyway, who did you take with you? Who is making those sounds?"


    She sounded so unbothered, I couldn''t get past the initial shock. Just a moment ago, she was holding a de to my throat, clearly ready and willing to kill me on the spot, but now she spoke as if we were long-lost friends, notplete strangers.


    My hand shook as I slowly brought it up to my neck to cover the cut and check the damage, but I stopped before I could cover the cut due to her hissing at me.


    "Don''t touch, you will ruin it. It''s healing already, I know my stuff, so unless you want an ugly scar, you won''t touch it," she scolded me.


    Eyes wide, I looked at her, unable to grasp the level of her delusions and blurted out, "I''m pregnant and the stench of blood makes me sick to my stomach. I need to wipe it off."


    Now I wasn''t the only one who was shocked. Her eyes grew just as wide as mine as she hurried towards me and carefully wiped the blood off my neck. "Shit, I''m sorry, if I had known, I would have never done that. I mighte across as a monster since you probably saw what I did there, but I''m not that bad. I would never attack a woman who carries another life under her heart, at least not on purpose. That shithead over there deserved what he got, you didn''t. I''m sorry." Gulping, I nodded, seeing how I had no idea how to get out of this situation, away from this weird woman and her aplices. As I remembered that she wasn''t alone, I nced over her shoulder and frowned. There was no one in sight, even the body was gone.


    "Don''t bother, those two are like rats, they''ll leave the ship first at the mere rumor of possible sinking. Only I stayed behind and now that you know that I don''t n to hurt you, there''s nothing to worry about," she muttered, still dabbing at my neck.


    "Okay," I breathed out and looked anywhere but at her.


    As if sensing my reluctance to talk, she sighed and stepped away. "You do know that I''m not allowed to touch you, right? Like, what I did, although a mistake, it''s sort of illegal." My eyes found her the moment her mouth closed. How was touching me illegal now? What was she on about?


    Her eyebrow arched as she tilted her head and grinned. "You have a witch''s rune on you. You''re not a witch yourself, that much is clear, but someone has marked you as their property." She immediately threw her hands up, as if surrendering, and started babbling, "I didn''t mean like property - property thing. I mean, it''s more of a protection thing, obviously, to let others know you''re off limits. I''m not iming someone owns you like a pet or something."


    This was the weirdest reminder of the existence of my old life, if I was being honest. While I had no idea about this rune she was describing, I knew the coven had ced protection on me.


    "Anyway," she waved her hand and let out a forced giggle. "That doesn''t matter. Tell me, who''s making those sounds over there? It''s not often that someone roams around here and since you''re the only neer, I dare to assume it''s yourpanion. Clearly, whoever it is, it''s following you."


    The grin that spread across her lips reminded me of that cat character from a cartoon I once watched. Just as wide and creepy-looking. I had to hide my difort by clearing my throat.


    "I don''t know. Okay, I might have a suspicion who it might be, but I don''t want to share details. For now, it''s still far away, so I need to get out of here and find a shelter before he catches up with me." I made sure to look past her as I exined the little bit I was willing to share.


    The reality was that I didn''t know this woman. I didn''t trust her either, no matter how hard she tried toe across as friendly and harmless. She already attacked me, damn it, on purpose or not - it didn''t matter. And, for the record, the attack was intentional, her excuses didn''t slide.


    "Dangerous, huh?" She asked, some weird spark shining in her eyes.


    "Would you mind if I just left? I won''t tell anyone what I saw, all that matters to me personally is that I get out of here before he catches up with me. I promise I won''t cause any trouble to you or anyone I could run into down here." Sadly, she wasn''t buying my words. If anything, she looked annoyed and ready to strike again. The hand that held the knife was clutching it so tight, I honestly worried that she might cut herself if she wasn''t careful enough.


    "I need the name. Give me the damn name of whoever is after you or you''re not leaving this ce fucking alive. You brought him here, I can''t let you leave just like that. No way. If the guy poses any danger to those who roam these tunnels, I have to do everything in my power to protect the innocent."


    Funny how her demeanor changed so quickly again, right? One moment she promised no harm just to go back on her words and threaten me the other.


    Sadly, I didn''t have much choice here, so I gave in. "I don''t know if you have heard about him, but there''s this very angry Alpha named Bane. I think he''s following me here and you''re kind of in my way right now. All I want is to leave, nothing else. Also, don''t forget about the rune you mentioned - you can''t threaten to kill me if I''m protected by one of your sisters." I added thest part for good measure, fully aware that it might piss her off even more.


    As I barely turned to look at her, I was forced against the wall, her knife once again pressed against my throat. What was this bipr bullshit behavior now?


    "Bane? You brought the fucking Alpha Bane down here? Are you mental, girl? Do you have any idea what he will do to you? What he will do to us?" She screamed in my face.


    "Let me go," I tried to fight against her, but even my words came out as a mere whisper.


    "No way in hell. In fact, that''s exactly where I''ll see you again - in hell. Keep the ce warm for me, will you?" She snarled and pulled the knife back, positioning it in a way it was clear she was about to kill me.


    Except, she couldn''t. Before she could plunge the knife in my heart, she was attacked, ripped away from me and forced into the other wall by a massive, panting man. At first, I didn''t understand who it was, but once I did, I couldn''t stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. Zion. He found me.

 38: As your family.

    **Aife


    pov**


    "You won''t admit this just yet, but I know that the baby you carry right now is your future. Not the sickly stupid type of future some people assume, but I mean an entire future. You will go above and beyond for that child, you will fight even more. That''s why you kept the pill but didn''t take it." Jonathan announced and raised his hands above his head to stretch a little.


    Although I drank more than enough water, I felt like my throat was drier than the desert. No words came to mind to exin why I took the damned thing with me.


    Jonathan side-nced at me and shed me a kind smile. "No need to exin yourself. Honestly, I understand why you agreed to take it with you. If worsees to happen, there are some scenarios where you rather allow your kid to die than let them live a miserable life. You are a very well kept secret, so is your baby, but we both know that can''tst forever. Bane has many enemies out there. Many more would give up their lives just to wipe Bane''s bloodline off the face of Earth."


    I nodded and looked down. Jonathan was right - just by having this baby I''m putting it in danger, but I really couldn''t bring myself to get rid of it. This baby was thest part of Bane I still had.


    "Now, let''s hop back in the car and drive to the darn cabin. No idea how you are feeling, but I''m starving and my back is screaming for bed. Sounds good, no?"


    Since Jonathan was trying to make the light out of this situation, I agreed to y along and dly got back in the car. To my suprise, he actually helped me buckle up, muttering something like ''safety first'' under his breath.


    He didn''t speak anymore, just started the car and drove off. Initially, I was a little paranoid about the possibilities and everything that might happen, but now, I felt way better, morefortable around him.


    I couldn''t resist the urge to close my eyes and have a nap. A while ago, I wouldn''t risk to close an eye around Jonathan and Killian, but these days, both men proved they were trustworthy and didn''t wish me any harm. Honestly, I was so darn ufortable in the seat that I felt like I hadn''t slept for as little as five minutes when Jonathan gently shook me to announce we had arrived.


    "For how long was I out?" I asked and instantly yawned, still far too tired to get out of the car and pretend I was alive.


    "A couple of hours," Jonathan chuckled.


    I raised an eyebrow at my new friend, waiting for him to borate on how much a couple of hours was in his mind.


    "Well," he dragged and reached behind his neck to scratch it. "I didn''t want to disturb your sleep so I didn''t stop for breaks. A couple of hours is more or less six or seven hours. I tried to be mindful, but truth be told, I also sped over the limit here and there, so yeah, here we are."


    Before I could say something, Jonathan hopped out of the car, ran around it and opened the door for me. He actually even offered me his hand, which I dly epted. "Thank you," I muttered and went speechless just the moment those words left me.


    Once my eyes focused on the building before me, I couldn''t find the right words to describe it. From what I understood every time Killian and Jonathan discussed this ce - it was supposed to be a small, run-down building, not a beautiful house.


    The paint job looked fresh, not an imperfection in sight, even the surroundings of the house were beautiful. It had a pretty, little and very cozy looking porch with some chairs on it. I could imagine how many evenings I could spend out there, enjoying the breeze of the evening and talking to my baby as it would grow inside me.


    "Jonathan, this is," I tried to find the words, but none still came.


    "A downgrade, I know," Jonathan groaned and hurried to the back of his car to open the trunk and grab our bags. "However, I do believe having something has to be way better than having nothing at all, right? The positive side is that no one will bother us here. This whole property is kind of off limits space, even though it''s on unimednds. Yes, it''s smaller and not as fancy as that back home, but we''ll make do, right?"


    My jaw nearly hit the ground. No, Jonathan couldn''t be serious. This ce was everything but a downgrade - a perfect little hidden paradise away from the eyes of everyone.


    The only downside was that my mind instantly went into a stupid frenzy of thoughts... Just how amazing would it be to live in a ce like this with Bane. If only we could live like normal mates did - just the two of us and our little one. I didn''t realize I had started crying until Jonathan''s hand touched my cheek when he wiped off the tears. "Aife, don''t cry darling, I promise we can find a better ce where to keep you and the little one safe. I told you, stress isn''t good for the baby. Just think about the baby."


    I shook my head like a kid and sucked in a deep breath. "I wasn''t crying because I don''t like this ce. Quite the opposite, my mind instantly went to fetch for impossible scenarios. I just got lost too deep in my thoughts."


    Jonathan cupped my cheek and smiled at me. "I get it. It must be hard for you, but trust me, I will do anything in my power to keep you safe and maybe one day those ideas in your mind will turn into reality. We never know, right?" I didn''t want to agree mainly because then, I would admit to Jonathan just how much I kept hoping. Disagreeing would mean I focused on everything negative which would make him feel bad.


    Thankfully, instead of questioning me, Jonathan pressed his lips against my forehead and whispered. "I know it''s not ideal, but if nothing else, you have Killian and I as your family. We will do our damndest to ensure you and the baby are properly cared for. Now, if you don''t mind, I would like to show you around the ce. Then, we can cook something; I''ve been craving home cooked meals for ages."

 39: Too soon.

    **Killian


    pov**


    After Jonathan and Aife left, I felt like a weight both fell from my shoulders and another one was instantly added to rece it.


    The title I carried came with many responsibilities, but when I decided that I wanted to be the Alpha worthy of my pack, caring and supportive, I realized how much more work that was.


    Technically, Aife wasn''t a part of my pack, but that didn''t mean I didn''t care about her well being. Especially now that we knew she was carrying Bane''s child.


    As I returned home, I already knew that Kayson might have been around, still sitting around, perhaps waiting, but I brushed that off as a tiny possibility.


    Imagine my surprise when I saw the fuckerzing on the sofa.


    "You have no ces to go, no stuff to do?" I asked as I approached him, my voice seemed to pull him out of the haze.


    Kayson jumped to his feet, eyes wide, hair messed up and a look on his face that I couldn''t exactly read. It was all sorts of off, I suppose.


    "Hey, are you okay?" I asked and took another step closer, this one more cautious than the previous one.


    While Kayson had been my best friend and the closest person to me for years, I knew how unpredictable he could be. For all I knew, I was walking into the fire line, about to be knocked out or some shit.


    Once he managed to take a few breaths and his eyes finally focused on me, Kayson looked like a brand new person. The same, old, smug grin spread across his lips as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.


    Oh, shit, this wasn''t good. Of all the personalities he had, if he chose the one who was an absolute dick, Kayson was too deep in whatever shit that worried him.


    Asking was useless, he wouldn''t tell me anything until he was truly ready toe clean, so I decided to focus on anything but that.


    First, my eyes scanned the room. It seemedpletely fine, except for.. A frown instantly crossed my features before I looked at my best friend again. "Where''s the old man?" Aife''s father usually sat around here like some piece of extra furniture. In the time he had spent here, every day the same, I had already somewhat gotten used to the old fuck.


    "Hmm," Kayson looked around, as if he hadn''t noticed the man''s absence. "Nope, it seems he isn''t around. Didn''t hee back with the rest of the search party?"


    Pinching the bridge of my nose, I let out an annoyed groan. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I told you I had to leave for something important and I came home just now. I did mind-link the entire pack and tell them to return home, but I wasn''t here when they all came back."


    Kayson looked at me as if I just grew another head. "And you''re telling me I was responsible for making sure they all returned?"


    I shot him a re. "As my second inmand, the goddamn Beta of this pack, that would be the least you could do if I''m away and you''rezing around. Seriously, what the fuck happened to you? Where is your goddamn mind stuck in?" Deep down, I knew I was being harsher than I intended to be, but then again,tely, I couldn''t im that Kayson was being the best at his job.


    "You didn''t warn me that I had to!" Kayson yelled, tossing his hands in the air to show how frustrated he was bing.


    I couldn''t help but roll my eyes at him and snort. "Since when am I obligated to tell my Beta what he should or shouldn''t do? There''s a reason why you are second inmand, Kayson, for fuck''s sake, why can''t you act like that?" A look of hurt crossed his features, but he was quick to hide it with one of anger as he started stalking towards me. "I don''t know, why can''t I?" He snarled.


    Whatever was going on with him had to be big if he was acting this badly out of character. Honestly, this was the first time I saw Kayson like this. Almost like he was more beast than he was human.


    When Kayson got close enough, I ced my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it, all anger fading away as if someone ced a nket of calm over me. I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath before whispering, "why can''t you tell me what''s going on with you? The Goddess knows I will always be here for you, always have your back and fight your battles if needed. You are my best friend, buttely, we''re both forgetting our friendship. What''s going on, Kayson?" "I''m not the only one who has forgotten that we''re supposed to be best friends, not only Alpha and his Beta," Kayson muttered and averted his gaze, all fighting spirit left his body.


    I couldn''t believe we found ourselves in a situation like this. Just two grown men, butting heads to show off dominance and power, no understanding in sight.


    Come to think of it, earlier, Kayson was right. If only I had taken a moment to talk and I mean properly talk, not demand for answers on the spot, perhaps he would feel much morefortable to tell me what was worrying him.


    This time, I didn''t act all high, mighty and busy. Instead, I threw my arm around Kayson''s shoulders and pulled him to my side to guide him outside, away from anyone who might be listening to us argue.


    As soon as we stepped outside the building, I led him as far from the house as possible and finally, we both sat down.


    On instinct, I reached for his hand and grabbed it in mine, holding onto him as tightly as I could. This was how we always spoke about our worries - one sometimes cried their heart out while the other clung on him.


    "I''m here for you, Kayson, please remember that. No more bullshit about me being busy or stressed, not now. Clearly, you need me. You came back different, did something happen while you were away?" I kept my voice low yet gentle, kind of hoping it would encourage my best friend to talk to me.


    Kayson just shook his head and focused his gaze on the ground. "No, not while I was away. I understand you want to stand at my side and support me as you''ve always done, but trust me when I say I don''t want to talk about it. It''s too soon." Sighing, I took the risk and asked for thest question that still nagged me. "Whatever problem you have, how big is the chance it might backfire on the entire pack? I won''t me you, but I need to know."


    "I understand," Kayson whispered and chuckled. "I suppose massive, the chance is massive. I don''t understand why I didn''t leave yet. It would be so much better if I left."

 40: Where is Zion?

    **Bane


    pov**


    The fear that surged through me wasn''t any regr fear. No, this one was feral, raw and deep. So powerful, it reached for my heart though my chest, grabbed a hold of it and squeezed the fucking muscle until it could beat no more. I couldn''t suck in a single breath, couldn''t move a muscle and even blink. The only thing I could do was stand there like an idiot and look at the empty cell.


    For the first time in what felt forever, my body was mine, not the monster''s to keep. I could move the muscles and limbs how I wanted to, now how he demanded them to move.


    Without thinking, I called out for the guards. "Guys! Come here, quick!"


    I didn''t recognize my voice anymore, I wasn''t sure it was still mine. Even as the guards ran towards me and the sound of their heavy footsteps echoed against the halls, I feared they wouldn''t recognize me as me.


    "Alpha, what happened?" One of them shouted from afar and for that brief moment, a wave of relief washed over me. For a split second, I truly believed he was talking to me, not the imposter who had robbed me of my free will and body. "Zion isn''t in his cell," I shouted, my words breaking as I tried to remain strong.


    I had no idea how long it would take for the monster to take it all back, to force me back down into the endless pit of my mind, but I needed this moment, I had to hold onto it. I needed this more than ever.


    "Where the hell is Zion? Did any of you see him leave? I need to know where my best friend is. Please, for the love of the Goddess almighty, don''t tell me he was taken out of here because of the reasons I assume. Please, I beg you, tell me that my best friend is still alive and you mean it. I beg you. I can''t live without him around, not like this, not ever."


    Maybe I was being too dramatic and emotional, but I couldn''t help it. Zion stood by my side even when someone else took over and he had to endure endless torture. Even when that fuckface made his life a living hell, Zion just gave in and never fought against him just to ensure he still remained close to me.


    "Oh God, Alpha, it''s you, you''re back," a younger guard cried out and probably in the heat of the moment, he ran up to me to pull me into a tight, painful hug.


    I patted his back simply because I knew the young boy needed some support. Lately, we all needed it more than ever.


    "I don''t know for how long and how I got the control, but before he returns, I need my questions answered, guys. Where is your Beta? Is he okay?" I asked again, fighting to sound calm, not desperate.


    Truth be told, I knew I was desperate and I knew I sounded like that too. But didn''t I have a right to be?


    Wasn''t it justified that I would feelpletely broken and lost without the one person who had always been there for me?


    "Wait, what are you on about?" The guard released me and stepped away to look over my shoulder.


    Once he noticed the empty cell behind me, his eyes visibly widened and his demeanor changedpletely - from calm and happy to terrified.


    "No," he whispered. "No, it can''t be. Alpha, I know we can''t tell you things like these but we were helping, I promise we were. We did our best to ensure Beta Zion would live and heal as fast as possible, I don''t get it," he trailed off. The rest of the guards slowly stepped closer, each of them bing paler than the previous one as the realization dawned on them all. "I don''t get it," one of them whispered the same words.


    I scanned their faces for any lies, any act they might be putting on and still nothing. This realization hit me hard, like a fucking knife straight through the heart. They hadn''t known Zion was missing, they had no fucking idea he wasn''t here. Wait, did it mean I still had a chance to find my best friend? If the guards didn''t let him out, didn''t take him to the hospital or drag the lifeless body out of this damned ce - did that mean Zion was alive?


    "Did any of you take Zion out of this cell, dead or alive?" I asked, my voice trembling with fear that kept rooting itself deeper within my being. That tiny glimmer of hope was still important, yet it wasn''t nearly as powerful as the dread. All of the guards shook their heads, eyes wide and mouths slightly open.


    Closing my eyes, I tossed my head back and kept begging the Goddess not to let the demon within me awake again while I was discussing this with my men.


    "Okay, did someone enter the cells? Someone who wasn''t supposed to be here? Think, it could be anyone, most likely a witch powerful enough to disguise herself and get Zion out of here. Whatever you know helps. I need to make sure he''s okay," thest sentence sounded strained, but at this point, I didn''t care anymore.


    The only thing that worried me right this moment was Zion. I needed him to be alive and well. If he was, I knew I could get through this nightmare and eventually, find my Aife too. Fuck, how I missed her.


    "No. The cells are closed for anyone but the guards. Everyone who''s on the rotation is known and can''t even bring a friend, even if the said friend is one of the pack members. We have been told off on everything, so not a soul could get past us unless we wanted to end up in a ditch," the youngest of the guards exined.


    His words brought me such a sense of relief that I wanted to shout and scream in happiness like kids sometimes do.


    If Zion got out on his own, he would make it. I knew he was a fighter, and had a feeling he was nning something, but now, despite the initial fear, I was overjoyed to know my best friend made it. Zion fucking made it!


    As the thought crossed my mind, I could feel the familiar, sickly sensation in my chest. The asshole himself was about to surface, so I didn''t have much time to waste, let alone disclose serious information.


    Turning my focus on the youngest of the guards I forced a smile and whispered, "in no time, I once again, will be no longer myself. Any question has to be answered with the Beta died and was burned per mymand. Tell him I couldn''t see my best friend so I needed to get rid of the body. Got it?"

 41: Hidden things.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I didn''t want to get out of the bed, heck, I didn''t want to wake up in the first ce, but my new friend was relentless.


    "You need to get used to moving more, Aife." He would say. "I remember my mother used to talk about how important it is to ensure your mate is active during pregnancy to help withborter," he would add. Jonathan seemed to be the go-to person regarding pregnancy advice, even if I didn''t ask for any or wanted them.


    And yet, every time he spoke, I made sure all of my attention was his. No matter how intrusive at times he came across, I still listened.


    It wasn''t like I had a mother I could talk to and ask advice from, so this little arrangement seemed like the best deal I could get.


    Today, he decided I had to wake up at 6am for a morning walk. At first, I didn''t want to leave the cozy house, but after about an hour of pestering, I finally relented and agreed.


    Jonathan took me to the nearby forest, and at first, it truly seemed like some nice walk around the park, but as we walked deeper into the woods, I realized this wasn''t just quality time for unlikely friends.


    "Jonathan?" I called his name to grab his attention since he was walking ahead of me.


    He nced over his shoulder and grinned, "yes? Don''t tell me you''re too tired already and need to take a break. I suppose we could head back, but I really don''t want to, the walk has just begun."


    I arched an eyebrow at his whining tone, but didn''t point that out. Instead, I focused on the main thought in my mind. "I''m not saying I''m too tired yet. However, I can''t help but wonder why we are walking into the forest instead of around the entrance of it. Walking deeper inside kind of gives me the creeps and honestly, I fear there might be some rogues roaming around."


    As soon as I finished voicing my thoughts, Jonathan froze on the spot and quickly spun on his heel to face me. "First of all, rest assured, there are no rogues around this area. Just because thends are unimed doesn''t mean just anyone can step their foot on them. Second, yeah," he huffed a breath and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "This isn''t just a regr walk."


    I had to cross my arms in front of my chest to show Jonathan just how serious I was being when I spoke again. "This isn''t just a regr walk, in a sense? Don''t tell me you''ve been lying to me all this time and in actuality, you have been tasked to take me to the woods, kill me and bring back my liver just like in that fairytale?"


    Jonathanughed at my face. Not just a tiny chuckle, but a full on bellyugh. Once he managed to gather himself, Jonathan straightened his posture and wiped tears off his cheeks.


    "I believe it was heart, Aife, not a liver mentioned in that story," was all he said.


    If that was all he took notice of the rant I just spat at him, I didn''t know how to react anymore. He couldn''t be serious.


    Thankfully, he noticed the look on my face and took a step closer to me. Surprisingly, I didn''t feel like he possessed any danger or I had to increase the distance between us, so at least that was something positive.


    After what happened back home, I learned that I had to trust my gut feeling the hard way so there was no way I would ever ignore what my instincts were screaming.


    His handnded on my shoulder, but Jonathan just rested it there, a kind smile across his lips. "Just because this isn''t any ordinary walk doesn''t mean we can''t enjoy it. There is no reason for you to distrust me, remember? I''ve been on my best behavior all this time, haven''t I?"


    "You have, yes," I agreed, although reluctantly. I couldn''t help it, this sudden change with behavior made me suspicious and I definitely was in a ce where I could doubt everyone''s intentions and still be justified for doing that. No one could me me, I was literally walking the edge of a cliff, one small push and my life would fade along with that of my unborn child. I couldn''t just risk it all and ce my trust with anyone, regardless of how long I knew them for. "But?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.


    If there was one thing I really liked about Jonathan, it was that he could read between the lines. No matter how sketchy I acted, from the moment I met him, the man didn''t miss a thing.


    "But, I still need to stay careful, remember? I just don''t get why you''re so insistent on walking deeper into the woods. This ce genuinely creeps me out and all of my senses are screaming that I need to get away from here. As far as possible and as soon as possible," I admitted.


    Clearly, this wasn''t the first time Jonathan had visited the territory, walked the grounds or explored the forest, but since life was unpredictable at best days - we couldn''t know what was expected us at the other end of the journey. Jonathan managed to catch me off guard when he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. He didn''t squeeze me or anything, just held me for a minute or two until I felt my heart rate normalize. "There, better?" He released me and shed me the widest grin.


    I nodded and looked down, "yeah, a little better." Up to this moment, I hadn''t realized how much I missed hugs and just being held. Childish, I know, but sometimes all the answers one sought could have been hidden in the embrace of another person. Or peace, just that.


    "Now, I won''t beat around the bush anymore since that clearly makes you nervous and again, we can''t let you stress too much. The reason why I brought you here is because there are a few hidden things in this forest and I want to show you those," Jonathan grinned and stood next to me, ready to keep walking.


    "What hidden things?" I asked, still a little skeptical.


    His arm wrapped around my waist and the next moment, I was so close to him, I could feel the warmth of his body through the clothing. Jonathan leaned in and whispered in my ear, "tunnels, loads of them. There are a few exits and entrances around here, I want to show you how to find them and enter the tunnels if anything happens. You can use them to find safety in case something bad happens. I figured since you''re still very scared, providing something that couldfort you in a sense might work."

 42: Exiting the tunnels.

    **Aife


    pov**


    I hated to admit it, but Jonathan was right. While there was no reason for me to freak out and worry, I still felt a little safer knowing he was about to show me a way to escape.


    "Okay," I beamed as I looked up at his hopeful eyes.


    The moment I agreed out loud, tension visibly fainted from Jonathan''s features and he could smile again.


    He led me deeper into the forest, his arm still around my waist, and cracked a few jokes as we walked.


    Not only that, the man actually came prepared. At one point, I was so darn tempted to turn around and return home, but he told me there was no reason for me to do so since he had brought snacks and food with him. Had I ever mentioned how much of a godsent that man was?


    Jonathan found a cozy little area we could sit in, right under a massive oak tree that looked out of ce in this forest.


    As we sat down, I leaned my head against the tree trunk and sighed in content. The shadow this tree provided was far better than the little protection created by pine trees.


    "I have sandwiches, a piece of cake for you and some jelly beans, which one would you prefer?" Jonathan asked as he started pulling bags of food out of his coat pockets.


    How I didn''t notice how stuffed those pockets were earlier was beyond me. I grabbed one of the sandwiches, a small pack of jelly beans and a bottle of water.


    Both of us ate andughed about how grateful we were that the pregnancy cravings weren''t hitting in yet.


    Eventually, after all those jokes andughter, we sat in silence, clearly relishing thefort it provided.


    Well, at least until he cleared his throat to catch my attention. "Would it be weird if I asked you a very personal question?"


    I studied him for a bit, but since I couldn''t notice any possible judgment or malice, I nodded my head.


    "If you had a chance, right now, at this moment, to return to Alpha Bane and live happily ever after, would you?"


    Questions like this one usually were packed with some hidden stuff behind them, but when Jonathan asked that, I didn''t feel like his words were more than just a question brought up by curiosity. Slowly, I folded the empty sandwich bag and took a swig of water while I gathered my thoughts.


    Funny how I didn''t really know the answer. I should have known, but I didn''t.


    However, since he was expecting an answer, I would have to say something anyway, so I decided to figure it out while having a discussion with him.


    "To answer that, first, I need to clear my thoughts. While I understand where you areing from when you ask that, there are far too many things I would have to take in consideration before I made the decision," I announced and looked up at the tree branches above us.


    Perhaps I was losing my mind, but I swear, it felt like there was someone sitting up there, watching us and listening to our private conversation.


    "Like? If that''s not too much to ask for, of course," Jonathan insisted.


    I really admired how he managed to sound easy going and tense at the same time. I knew he was eager to learn more but didn''t want to pressure me too.


    I shrugged my shoulders and focused my eyes back on him. "I didn''t leave him because I wanted to, I left because I needed to reasons like that one. Also, am I being weird and paranoid or is someone watching us right now?"


    As soon as I became the one who questioned the other person, Jonathan looked up at the same branch I was watching earlier and grinned. "You''re not paranoid because someone is, in fact, watching us. Don''t mind them, the creatures that live here are harmless," he exined, sounding more rxed than I''ve heard him before.


    "Aren''t you weirded out? I mean there''s someone stalking us and you sound so.. happy? Are you okay? Should we check if you have a fever or something?"


    All Jonathan did wasugh at me. He didn''t take offense to my words and just waved me off. "Don''t be like that, trust me, this is no big deal. I know many things are new for you, but there''s a reason why I told you no one who doesn''t belong here could set foot on thesends. And that reason is above us, watching and making sure we don''t harm thends and don''t enter with ill intentions."


    "Does the reason have a name? Is it fair to ignore him or her? I don''t feel good ignoring anyone, especially someone who you make sound like a protector."


    Jonathan shed me a blinding smile. "I have no idea about their names, but we call them all creatures since no one has ever seen any of them and gotten a chance to study them. All we know is that creatures are harmless if you behave and they''re here to protect, not hurt."


    I nodded again and nced up. While I couldn''t see anything, an idea still struck and I figured that would be the best one I''ve had up to this day.


    Reaching for the piece of cake Jonathan brought for me, I carefully opened the packaging and ced the cake a little further away from me. "There, Miss or Mister creature, sorry I don''t know your name, but I want you to have this. I''m sure hunting and protecting at the same time gets exhausting so the least I can do is offer some sugar for energy. And don''t worry, it''s not bad - if I can safely eat it, so can you."


    "See, I told you, nothing like your family. You''re special, Aife," Jonathan mused and reached over to ruffle my hair. "Now that we had some rest, how about we find those tunnels, I show you around and we return home? A nap would be good for you."


    He didn''t need to ask me twice. In no time, I was back on my feet, ready to explore and even more ready to return to our new home. Gosh, the bed was already calling my name, I never wanted to leave it again.


    However, just as fast as the happiness surged through me it was scared out by a barrage of loud howls, followed with muffled whispersing from all sides, surrounding us both.


    "I thought you said rogues couldn''t enter," I gasped, looking at Jonathan for any reassurance that we weren''t in any danger standing here.


    His hand found mine and gripped it. "They can''t. Someone''s exiting the tunnels. Come on, let''s go and see who it is."

 43: I’m with you, my love.

    **Zion


    pov**


    The guards thought they were smart, they thought that by withholding any and every information from me they were doing me a favor.


    Fuck, how wrong were they.


    I needed to know everything that was happening around the pack, even if I didn''t like what they had to say.


    Perhaps that''s why I thought it was rather positive to hear them whisper among themselves, thinking I was asleep,pletely out cold and couldn''t listen in on their conversations. Well, sucked to be those fuckers then.


    As I sat in the forsaken cell, counting the minutes that were left for me to live in agony, I knew two things.


    One - the monstrous Bane was on his way here to hand me my own ass.


    Two - the pack members talked and they did that loud enough for everyone to hear. That fucker was nning to hurt my K.


    Over my goddamn dead body would he ever touch a hair on that woman''s head. She was my mate, the mother of my child and I knew I would rather die a slow, painful death in the pits of hell than allow him anywhere near her. "No, that wouldn''t happen. Ever. I just found her, barely found out we''re expecting, he won''t take that away from me," I muttered under my breath.


    While I wasn''t the loudest of the bunch, I needed to hear those words to convince myself that I could do this.


    The n had been in the making for a while and finally, I had to act on it and do what had to be done ages ago.


    I wanted to stay around, I wanted to be there for my best friend and find a way to save him, but if I had to choose between someone who refused to fight for himself and someone I loved more than my own life, I would always choose K. She was my future. She was my "it."


    While the guards were too busy chatting, I forced myself to my feet, biting the inside of my cheek until it bled - all to keep any sound from escaping me.


    I had been nning a way out for a while, but the chance presented itself fairly recently, and that was why I decided to take it now. Countless prayers to the moon Goddesster and she finally answered one.


    It turned out that there was a secret door in the floor of my cell, perfectly hidden under all that filth and blood that covered the floor.


    I checked if the guards were paying attention only one more time and slowly leaned down to grab the handle.


    My body ached and an idental "fuck" escaped my lips, but that too was ignored by the guards who were too engrossed in their conversation.


    Somehow, I managed to make no sound as I opened the door to the dark tunnel, lowered myself in and closed the door behind me.


    When my feet hit the damp ground, I nearly copsed, but I had to force myself to move even if I felt like I bnced on the brink of death like this. The ce reeked of shit and mold, yet even if this was some massive pipe, leading to the pack''s many bathrooms, I didn''t care.


    I didn''t mind swimming in shit if that meant I could get to my mate and protect her from any harm.


    Clutching my right side, I started walking forward without any sense of direction.


    Sure, I didn''t have any idea where I was headed, but at least I was out of those cells and on my way to her.


    Fuck, I couldn''t remember thest time I saw a genuine smile on her lips, and I was excited to see that now. That thought was what kept me going, what made me push myself even more.


    After the Goddess knew how long I spent walking, a sudden sense of relief washed over me. At first, I wasn''t sure why that happened all of a sudden, but a momentter, I caught what I could describe as the most enchanting, mouth watering scent I''ve even smelled.


    It was her. K. She was here, wandering the same tunnels as I was and soon enough, I could catch up with her.


    That realization sent my mind into a frenzy and my body started moving as if it had a mind of his own.


    Despite the multiple injustices all over my body, somehow I managed to keep bumping against every ducking thing in my way. This tunnel was like some hoarder''s dream, packed with useless shit.


    What worried me the most was how loud I was being. K had no idea I was following, I might scare my little mate to death if I wasn''t more careful.


    Aaaand, fuck being more careful or careful at all because I was pretty damn sure I caught a whiff of blood.


    Panic surged through me, blinding my senses and ability to think about anything but what might have happened. I knew it was the scent of her blood, I knew it.


    The closer I got, the wilder my heart beat in my chest and the louder those thumps sounded in my ears. I struggled to breathe and still kept pushing forward.


    When I was so close the scent was overwhelming me, I soon noticed what was happening. A woman was attacking my K, aiming a knife at her heart, ready to kill the love of my life right before my eyes.


    "Not fucking happening," I growled and charged at her, ignoring the pain and fear that tried to paralyze me.


    It all happened in a blur. One moment I stood aside and watched, the next moment I was shredding a woman to pieces, ripping her limbs off her body, and then, I was embraced by the warmest arms that have ever touched me.


    K held me close and cried, the sound of her pain echoing against the walls and soon after, I started crying too. Like an overgrown child, unapologetically, I cried in both fear and overwhelming happiness.


    I found her, she was safe, our baby was safe, and now, we would move forward together with no danger in sight. "Zion, you''re here. My life, you''re here," she kept repeating as her hands slid up to my face and held it. K took her time watching me, like she needed time to convince herself I was really there, alive.


    I turned my head to kiss her palm and forced a smile. "I''m here, I''m finally with you, my love."


    Those words worked like a wake up call to my beautiful mate. The look of desperation was reced by one of determination as she pulled me closer and started barking out quietmands, "I don''t know if that mad friend of yours is following me, but I think he might be on my heels, so we need to start moving. We have to find an exit and leave this ce."


    Usually, I liked teasing her a little and disagreeing just for the fun of that, but this time, I let her lead. I let her make decisions for both of us. No, all three of us.


    My mate had proved over and over again how strong and faithful she was, the least I could do was show her I trusted her judgment.


    "Yeah, let''s get out of here before anyone else tries to attack you. I''m not in the best shape these days."

 44: Go to the king.

    **udia


    pov**


    I couldn''t face him. I couldn''t go back to the main building and tell the Alpha that Miss K wasn''t in the territory anymore.


    Well, I could, but that would result in my death, that much was clear. Or something worse. I wasn''t even sure which one of the two I feared the most.


    The best course of action for now was stalling as much as possible. For as long as he didn''t know she was gone, everything was fine, right?


    "Shoot, it''s not fine, nothing is fine," I groaned and grabbed the sides of my head, too frustrated to gather my thoughts.


    Sometimes, a little walk helped me think, but I couldn''t exit the house and parade the pack property either.


    The next best option was walking around the house so that was exactly what I did. Or at least, more or less. I just started pacing the living room and thinking about the options I had.


    For the record, I had close to none.


    I could try to run away, to escape this pack, but where would I go? Around here I was nothing but one of the rejected women, not even a true part of the pack, which in all seriousness made me a rogue.


    Rogues didn''t have the easiest time out in the wild. Most of them went feral andpletely forgot their human selves. Going feral for good possibly was something I feared even more than death, if I was being honest.


    I was far too old to drop that low. Far too used to being somewhat a part of a pack to wander out in the wild and try to rebuild my life from zero. Far too scared to even try.


    This was it, this was how an old woman like me met her end - by helping someone escape the worst days of their life. And truth be told, I didn''t regret it a single moment, not for a second.


    Beta Zion had always been so nice to me, so warm and weing, and now that he had finally found his mate, I couldn''t let the poor girl suffer. She deserved better, they both did. Just the very moment when I epted that this was my fate and there was nothing I could really do to change it, a frantic knock came from the door and secondster, the door flew open.


    I prayed to the Goddess that the one who came wasn''t Alpha, and for once, my prayers were answered because instead of him stood a scared girl, one of the neers among the rejects.


    Once her eyes focused on me, she visibly rxed and let out a sigh of relief, "udia, you''re here, thank goodness you''re here. We were worried I woulde here toote," she said and ran to me, wrapping her arms around me for a tight hug.


    Seeing the distress and sensing the wear radiating off the girl, I quickly hugged her too, hoping that would help at least a little bit. "There, there, child, nothing has happened, why are you so worried? Haven''t you heard that stress is bad for our human forms? You shouldn''t run around like this, in this state you don''t notice things around you and something bad might happen."


    A bitter chuckle escaped her, followed by a muffled sob. "That''s so you, udia. Always the one worrying about others, never about your own well being. Stop this, please. For once, remember that you deserve happiness just as much as everyone else does and while you keep ignoring it - there are a lot of people who wish you nothing but the best and worry about you too. We all worry. You''re like the mom of the group, and honestly, for most of us you''re the only real mother we have ever had. Many girlse from broken homes that you managed to fix."


    Where was all of thating from now? Why did this girl decide to cry in my arms and seemingly list the row of reasons why I was supposed to stay around everyone?


    "What''s going on, darling? Don''t worry, you can tell me, I won''t judge or get angry," I muttered, squeezing her just a little closer.


    My words had the opposite effect I was hoping for. Instead ofing clean, the girl started crying even louder, clutching onto me tighter. "See, that''s what I''m talking about. You''re always there for others, always worried sick about their well being, but never the same with your own. How could you do this to yourself?"


    This conversation was nothing but a waste of time. Yes, I knew I sounded harsh in my thoughts, but whileforting others was a thing I tended to focus on most days, I couldn''t do the same thing now. I needed an exit n, one that didn''t drive me into an early grave.


    "While I appreciate your concern and I really do mean it, please keep in mind that I don''t have much time for conversations and heart to heart moments. Sorry, but I really can''t waste more time. Something happened and that something might be life threatening. I don''t mean to push this weight onto your shoulders, so please, tell me whatever you came to tell me and leave before it''s toote. I need a moment to think."


    This time, my words sobered her up. The girl released me and stepped back, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "Beta Zion is gone. No one knows where he is. Alpha is back, but no one knows for how long, he''s in a bad shape and fears the monster might surface any moment. The guards sent me here to warn you - Alpha thinks it''s best if you run and hide away until he figures out how to get rid of the monster because that thing inside him wants to kill you. udia, he wants to kill you," thest words came out as a whisper.


    And there it was, my biggest fearing to life - I was about to be a rogue, the lowest of the low, the feral beast that wandered the woods in desperate search of its next meal.


    "I''m not sure if I can do this," I admitted and closed my eyes. "I''m too old to start all over and definitely too weak to really embrace that whole rogue lifestyle. Where would I even go?"


    "You can go to the king. He will understand, he will take you in and keep you safe until Alpha figures everything out and brings you home." The girl suggested.


    "Goddess," I gasped as my eyes flew open. I didn''t know if I should cry, scream, jump in happiness or just stand there, but there had to be an emotion somewhere inside me. "How I didn''t think about this myself? Why did no one think about this sooner? You''re right! If anyone can help us, it has to be the king!"

 45: I might be tired, but I’m not weak.

    **K pov**


    Although Zion joked about not being in the best shape these days, I wasn''t blind to his attempts to keep me calm and spare me the stress caused by fear.


    He was anything but in the best shape. In fact, this was the worst I had seen him since the day we met. Since.. Ever?


    Even thest time when I snuck in the cells he looked far better than this, which meant that monster had visited again and did more unforgivable things to my mate.


    Just wait and see, one day, I will figure out how to get my hands on that monster that hides within Bane and once I do - there will be hell that follows.


    "Breathe, baby, breathe. Don''t dwell on it, focus on anything positive thates to your mind and don''t let the hate get you. I''m here, I''m with you and that is all that really matters. You need to think about the child you are carrying, my love. Stress is bad for our bundle of joy, let''s try to remain positive," Zion muttered as he pushed his body upright, leaned against the nearest wall and sucked in a few deeper breaths.


    I reached out for him, trying my best to show that I could support him, hold onto him as we both left this god forsaken ce, but before I could grab him, Zion shook his head.


    There was a smile ying on his lips, the regr teasing one, which made me feel like we were back in the past, enjoying our moments together shortly after we moved into the home he created for us.


    "No, you''ve done enough, my love. I need a moment to breathe and we can start looking for the closest exit. No way am I going to let you support my weight while you''re already carrying the biggest treasure of my life," he beamed and looked down at my bump.


    For a split second, I could see sadness cross his features, but Zion was quick to hide it with another smile, which sadly didn''t reach his eyes. "I''ve missed so much of your life, little bug," he muttered, eyes still trained on the bump.


    As if on instinct, my hand covered it as I stepped closer to Zion. Carefully, I reached out again to wrap my fingers around his wrist and pull his hand to my belly. "You haven''t missed the most important milestones, Zion, those are ahead of us. All that matters is that you get better before our little one is born so you have enough energy for sleepless nights, diapers and chasing him around the house."


    "Him?¡± Zion repeated, his wide eyes now focusing on mine, sparks of immense pride and happiness dancing in those beautiful orbs.


    Whenever he looked at me like this, I felt weak in my knees. Was this the look he gave me when he got me pregnant? Was this cute, overwhelmingly adorable look on his face Zion''s sex face? If so, I had to start nning more cribs and diapers in our future because I couldn''t say no to him when he gazed at me like that.


    "Yes," I whispered and covered his hand with mine. "Him."


    "How do you know?" He asked, sounding like he struggled to believe me.


    "Had a quick check up with the doc while Bane didn''t pay attention. I found out fairly recently and wanted to keep the gender a secret until you would get out of those awful cells. So, tadaa, I suppose here we are."


    If we weren''t in a fucked up situation like this, I was sure Zion would sweep me off my feet and jump around, screaming at the top of his lungs.


    He looked so darn happy, I couldn''t hold back the tears.


    Despite the injuries and pain, Zion pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me, holding me just as tightly as he always did. "I''m so proud of you baby," he whispered in my hair, "I''m so proud of us. We''re having a little boy, I can''t believe we''re having a mini Zion."


    Thest words made me chuckle. Somehow, I knew that he would bring that up once he realized the gender of the baby. What I didn''t expect was him, adding another thought, "I can''t wait until we have a mini you too. Can you imagine how perfect it would be for us? A son and a daughter? Goddess has me in her prayers it seems."


    A little shocked, I let out a nervousugh. "Zion, love, I still have some time to go until our baby is ready to see the world. Don''t you think it''s too soon to n the next one?"


    "What? No!" He gasped, carefully squeezing me just a little tighter. "It''s never too soon. Once the oven is empty and the docs give you the green light, we''re stuffing it with another beautiful baby asap. Only if you will feel ready, of course, but I really want us to have two kiddos. Just imagine the happiness we''ll have. Two kids, love, two kids."


    Standing here and daydreaming felt perfect. I didn''t need a fancy home or loads of money - all I needed was him, my mate, holding me like this and talking about the future we would have together.


    But sadly, as everything that was too good in life, this moment faded eventually too. As the silence dragged in, it was followed by the realization of the harsh reality. We didn''t sit on the couch in ourfortable home - we were both standing in an old, dirty tunnel with a madman possibly chasing us around.


    "I think it''s best we really leave this ce. We can talk about the future and our dreams once we are sure there''s no danger lurking around the corner. I''ll make sure to talk your eyes off with baby names and ideas while you heal, don''t worry," I added thest part in a desperate attempt to make light out of this situation.


    "Yes, you''re right, my love," Zion muttered and quickly pressed his lips to the top of my head before he gently pushed me away. "But I refuse to allow you to help me move forward. I might be tired, but I''m not weak, I can manage."


    I didn''t want to give in this time, really didn''t, but when he started mentioning the strength he has and that of our growing baby, I couldn''t find the words to fight back. Zion always knew what was best, so I had to learn how to trust him fully. Now that I had my mate by my side, all I needed to do was to find Aife and make sure she was fine. Perhaps she was the key to getting rid of our nightamer. I wasn''t sure, but deep down, I had a feeling that only she was strong enough to bring Bane back to his senses. If anyone, who else if not his own mate?

 46: I expect you to protect us.

    **Aife pov**


    Jonathan didn''t let go of my hand as he tried to pull me forward,pletely ignoring my reluctance. At one point, I realized I won''t be able to stop him unless I do something. So, like the adult I was, I dug my heels in and refused to walk towards the trouble.


    Jonathan finally noticed my resistance and stopped too. Slowly, he spun around to face me and scanned the surroundings. "What is it?" He asked without looking at me.


    I arched an eyebrow and chuckled. "What is it? Jonathan, I don''t want to get anywhere near any danger, especially this. Right now, the most important thing in my life is the little bean I''m growing in my body, there''s no way I''m risking the baby for anything. Especially someone, whoever the hell it really is, exiting some hidden tunnels. I can''t do that, it''s too much risk."


    He looked amused, not worried, which honestly surprised me. How he didn''t think this was a bad idea was beyond me.


    Of all the scenarios running through my head, him, waving me off, was thest one, but that was exactly what happened.


    "Don''t worry about anything, Aife. You see, just like I previously mentioned, those tunnels are meant to be used in emergencies, but more specifically - to escape the danger, not step into it. Whoever is getting out is just as much of an outcast as we are now. Those creatures around us will protect them too. Thesends are a sanctuary, not a torture chamber."


    Now that he put it in like that, this mess made sense. At least kind of. The same as we, those people sought a shelter so I supposed Jonathan was justified in wanting to help after all.


    Dropping all cautionless, I offered him one, sharp nod. "Okay, but if anything goes wrong, you''re the one responsible. I expect you to protect us."


    Jonathan grinned and instantly agreed. "I wouldn''t have it any other way. Besides, it seems the creatures in these woods are very fond of you, it seems like the cake you offered was of their liking too." He added a chuckle to make the situation a little easier on us.


    "Okay, let''s stop talking and start moving then. I want to go back home and have a nap as soon as possible. I''m stupidly tired," I grumbled as I walked past Jonathan, brushing our shoulders in the process.


    He walked next to me andughed at my sudden change of heart. Here and there he pointed his finger in different directions to tell me about where the rest of the exits to those tunnels were located, but as we kept walking, I soon realized Jonathan knew this ce better than I first assumed.


    This wasn''t someone, just sharing their knowledge about the things he had learned. Jonathan acted like a man, who had spent years inside those tunnels, escaping demons of his own.


    And perhaps he was, but then again, I had no right to question him about his past. If the day came when he wanted to share his life story, he knew I was here to listen to him, but until then, I would rather give him time. "Almost there. This exit hasn''t been used in a very long time, which makes me wonder what might have happened back in the territories," Jonathan whispered as his hand found mine and squeezed it.


    I side-nced at him and frowned. "The territories? I thought we were driving for hours, didn''t we? How does that make any sense? Are we that close to home?"


    Jonathan shook his head, eyes still trained on something in the distance. "No, we''re very far away and you''re right, we did drive for hours. However, there''s a reason why people use those tunnels to escape - time doesn''t work the same down there. And neither does distance. It''s the tunnels that decide for you, no way of using your free will. Where the tunnels send you, that''s where you go."


    "Okay, this might sound silly, but I must ask," I started, quickly licking my lips and looking around. "If those mysterious tunnels choose for you, does that mean they can send you right back home too? I mean, let''s say you try to escape your pack, wander the underground for a bit and when you find an exit, boom, you end up right where you started. Also does every pack have those doors to tunnels or are they rare?"


    There were about another million questions swirling through my mind, but I focused on the most important ones not to confuse Jonathan.


    My new friend took a while to answer, but eventually, he managed to find the perfect words to exin everything to me. "Every pack has at least one, it depends on how many the tunnels themselves feel are needed. To put it simply, those tunnels are living organisms just chilling down there, waiting to serve. The concept is a little hard to exin, but since they have a mind of their own, yes, they can actually send you back home. Those in dire need are directed away from any danger and hidden away, but those who don''t need tunnels are sent back."


    Jonathan stopped talking and froze in his step. As he turned to me, he squeezed my hand again and added, "think of it like this - imagine an angry teenager who didn''t get the newest phone, cried wolf and ran away from home because they didn''t get their way. Sometimes, adults are the same. And adults like that sneak into those tunnels. Unless it''s really necessary, you won''t get anywhere."


    I thought along with his words and realized his words had so much sense now. It was true that many people overreacted and hell, I had done the same thing for more than a few things, so if there was a system to avoid abusing this safety measure - amazing.


    "Now, let''s stop talking and start walking, just like you said. The door has closed, it would be nice if we would get to whoever is there before they leave for good. Most people run as soon as they get out, they don''t stick around for a pleasant chat."


    Again, Jonathan''s words were more than understandable. If I were running away from something, I too wouldn''t stick around for long anywhere.


    As he led me closer to the said exit, I couldn''t get rid of this weird, yet exciting feeling building in the pit of my stomach. At first, I couldn''t understand what it was, but when I heard my name being called in that familiar voice, I nearly dropped in happiness.


    "K!" I screamed, released Jonathan''s hand and ran towards my friend''s voice.

 47: You don’t want to harm the baby.

    **K


    pov**


    We managed to get out of the tunnel. Finally, we were both seeing the light of the day again. Although around us there was nothing but trees and bushes, at least we were safe. I hoped we were.


    Zion leaned against the nearest tree and clutched his side while I walked close by, looking for any natural remedies to help with the pain.


    Just as I leaned down to grab some leaves, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. As I sniffed the air, at first, I couldn''t believe in it, but when the scent became more potent, I knew I couldn''t be mistaken. I couldn''t help but scream her name, hoping she could hear me. Once. Twice. A breath and the third time until I finally heard a response.


    "K!¡± Her voice rang out loud, somewhere in the distance, but that didn''t matter - Aife was here, getting closer to us.


    "Aife!" I screamed as loud as I could, praying the Goddess Aife wasn''ting alone and there was someone who might help my mate. "Hurry, Zion is injured, we need your help!" I added. After myst words, there were no sounds around us. Not even the sounds of nature, like we were stuck in a bubble of nothingness.


    That is, until I heard footsteps nearing us and some branches breaking. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes as I realized Aife really wasn''ting alone - she had someone apany her.


    Those seconds of waiting dragged longer than years. My heart beat so fast, I could hear the pounding even in my ears, feel each beat through my entire body.


    No matter how many times I sucked in a breath, each time felt like not enough.


    By the time I finally noticed her, I was sure I had at least three massive inner breakdowns. And when her face really came into focus, when I knew for sure it was her, my knees gave out from under me. With a desperate cry, I copsed on the ground as Aife ran to me, shouting something at the man who followed her and pointing her finger in the direction where I knew my mate still stood. She dropped to her knees next to me and carefully lifted my head in herp, slowly running her fingers through my hair and whispering something.


    I had no idea how long it took for me to start hearing her words, not just the sounds, but when I did - most of her words were along the lines of how everything would be okay and she had me. "You''re here, you''re here of all the ces," I sobbed and wrapped my arms around her, holding onto Aife as if my life depended on how tightly I could hold on.


    "I''m here, it''s really me. I know this feels insane, unreal even, I still struggle to ept it''s you here, not a trick of my imagination. I missed you so much," she muttered, her voice just as strained and broken as mine. "Aife, I''ll take Beta Zion home and tend to his wounds. Listen to the creatures whenever you''re ready to leave the forest, they will guide you home," said a man who had my mate tossed over his shoulder. While I doubted I could trust him, Aife just nodded and agreed. "Just be careful, Jonathan, he doesn''t look good."


    The scary-looking man just nodded and took off, leaving us both behind.


    Sensing my worry, Aife cupped my cheek and smiled, "don''t worry, K, he''s a good guy. Jonathan is here to protect me and I''m sure he will protect you and Zion too. He means no harm."


    "Who is he?" I managed to ask,pletely ignoring her words. Well, actually partly. Later, I could ask Aife why she needed this man to protect her.


    Hell, for all we knew, she might have gotten herself in trouble soon after leaving Bane''s pack. This girl was just as crazy as she was naive at times - too good to everyone, sadly, often letting others walk all over her. "Jonathan is one of Alpha Killian''s men. He''s supposedly a driver, but I have a feeling there''s more to him than everyone lets you know. From what I know, Jonathan always apanies Killian on every trip outside the pack he takes, so that makes me feel like Jonathan might be a bodyguard or something. All I really know is that I can trust him and he means no harm."


    As her words finally sink in, I nearly jump to my feet as I shout, "Killian''s man? Isn''t he the enemy you were hiding from? Aife, have you lost your mind? You went to the enemy and now you trust him too? Did they feed you something?" I had more questions, some of them awfully rude, but I had to hold back for now. What mattered was that she was rtively safe and seemed happy.


    The giggle that escaped her just proved my idea about her being happy where she was true. Aife didn''t appear to be in any distress, in fact, for once - she appeared to be at ease, rxed and hopeful.


    "Let''s say some things aren''t as they appear to be. That''s all I''m willing to share right now. How about we pull ourselves together and head home, hmm? Jonathan might be needing our help with Zion and we could have some food too. The Goddess knows I need a bloody nap."


    It was so weird to see her this rxed after the hell that woman had called her life. Looking at Aife, I started wondering if I even had the right to be up in arms andin about whatever was happening to me. Out of the two of us, somehow, I was sure she had it all worse.


    But all of that had to be left in the past, right where it belonged. Now, what mattered was that she was here, close by, alive and healthy.


    Perhaps the moon Goddess answered my prayers by reconnecting us? I still believed that only Aife could save Bane, only she could bring him out of that shell of a body and banish whatever had possessed him. She helped me up and quickly hugged me, muttering how much she had missed me.


    When Aife''s hold around me felt a little too tight, I yelped. "Careful, you don''t want to harm the baby, do you?"


    When Aife pulled away, her face turned pale and eyes widened as if I had said something wrong. To ease the momentary tension, I pointed down at my belly and grinned, "we''re expecting a boy."


    It took her a couple of seconds to process what I had said and then, a bright, nearly blinding smile spread across her lips as Aife pulled me into another hug and nearly shouted in my ear, "I can''t believe we''re expecting at the same time!"

 48: She is the Luna of your pack.

    **Zion


    pov**


    I kept oning in and out of consciousness as the man carried me away from K and I was pretty sure Aife too.


    Once my mind processed that we were out of that awful tunnel and the surroundings were safe, my body finally gave in.


    Maybe I was dreaming about meeting Aife, but while I knew it was very shitty of me, I didn''t really care. What gued my mind was K, her safety and the safety of our baby.


    ¡°Please, stop moving and squirming, you''re heavy as hell, it''s hard to carry you as it is." The man grumbled, tossed me up a little and repositioned me over his shoulder, "you do appear way skinnier than thest time I saw you. What kind of diet are you on, Beta Zion? Torture and no food until you turn into a skeleton? No offense, but that''s exactly how you look. Also, if my opinion matters at all, the diet sounds like shit scenario."


    As he kept talking, I realized I knew the voice. This wasn''t the first time we had met. Also, since he knew my name and title, it was clear this man knew who I was.


    "Who the fuck are you?" I managed to choke out, instantly silencing myself with a coughing fit, even identally spitting some blood on his perfectly white shirt. "Sorry."


    I wasn''t apologizing for being rude, not in the slightest. Ruining the neat-looking shirt? Yeah, that was the only thing I could apologize for.


    "No offense taken," he chuckled.


    Of course, the dumbass had to take my apology in apletely different context than it was intended, but oh well, I had to suck it up until I got better.


    "As for who I am, Beta Zion, you offend me. Do you tend to forget every man you once shook hands with or is it only me? I suppose I could write the question down to your delirious state, but it still doesn''t make me feel any better. Oh, poor, poor ol'' me."


    Why he decided to mock me was beyond me. Truth be told, I barely remained conscious so thest thing I wanted was to think about who this guy was.


    With a loud grunt, I tried to make myself a little morefortable, which proved to be impossible since everything hurt nevertheless. No matter what, I was pretty sure even my hair hurt.


    "Shit," the man hissed under his breath. "My apologies, I didn''t think.. In the state you are in right now, there''s no way you could focus on my silly teasing. Again, it''s my fault and I am sorry for behaving in such a careless manner. I suppose spending time around Miss Aife has made me softer than I usually am. But all that aside, I''m Jonathan, Alpha Killian''s personal driver. We have met before, plenty of times."


    At first, I couldn''t believe my own ears. What was Aife doing with one of Killian''s men? But as the silence between us dragged in and I started to think, I came to a realization that it made perfect sense.


    No matter what Killian''s intentions were, thest thing he wanted was to see Aife get hurt. Even if the fuckface did this for his own benefit, he would move heaven and earth to keep her safe. This was a good thing. In a way, it really was. "I mean no harm to Aife, if that''s what you''re wondering. The main reason for my presence here is to keep her safe, so let''s get this question off our minds now and focus on getting you to the house so I can check your injuries." Jonathan announced, sounding like he was speaking with a grin stered on his lips.


    That smug asshole.


    Just for the sake of it, I decided to act like a true dick and spat back, "it''s Luna Aife to you. She''s not Miss or just Aife, she is the Luna of my pack and you will address her as such." Jonathan justughed at my weak outburst, but he didn''t protest even a bit. Instead, very unlike any Killian''s men, he agreed nearly instantly.


    "Yes, you''re right, she is the Luna of your pack," he muttered and started walking a little faster once we reached the forest line. "However, if I still want her Beta to survive, I need to focus on more important things than some titles. We can argue about those once you get better, okay?"


    He didn''t need my answer to know I didn''t mind avoiding the argument. If anything, what I really wanted was to close my eyes and sleep, but the smug asshole kept shouting at me not to close my eyes.


    "As if I could sleep around someone as nosy as you, damn it," I muttered, making himugh.


    Great that at least one of us found this situation amusing, right?


    "Is my mate safe back in the forest? I don''t see her following us and, no offense, I still don''t trust your ass or judgment. She''s expecting a baby, I don''t want her to get hurt in there."


    While I had no idea why I literally handed an enemy a valuable piece of information on a silver tter, I did feel like a weight finally fell off my shoulders. If he wanted to, he could use his new knowledge to manipte and ckmail me, but if that happened.. Well, I didn''t believe he was stupid enough to really try to y that game.


    "Both her and Luna Aife are safe there. The creatures that guard this ce are very fond of your Luna ever since she shared a slice of cake with them. Trust me on this one, Beta, neither of those girls could ever be as safe around us both as they are with those creatures."


    It sucked that I didn''t know what creatures he was talking about, but the knowledge about them both being safe around those did ease my mind a little.


    So much so that I nearly fell asleep, but of course, the asswipe had to ruin the moment for me by shouting again. "We''re nearly there, just a couple more steps, don''t you dare to close your eyes!"


    "Fine!" I shot back and focused on his shoes to have at least something to look at.


    In no time, the shitty gravel road was reced by steps and then, floors. Jonathan carried me inside the house and carefullyid me down on the couch in the small living room.


    I watched him run around like his ass was on fire until he found the first aid kit and finally focused on his task. Time slowed as he kept talking, exining everything he used and every injury on my body as if I was a toddler that was throwing a tantrum.


    K and Aife entered the house before Jonathan finished cleaning my wounds, so I encouraged my mate to focus on getting some food with Aife. It was bad enough that she had seen me beated, bruised and covered in blood while I was dressed, I didn''t want her to see how bad it really was without clothes covering the damage.


    "Come on, I''ll help you to shower, carefully wash you off and give you some clean clothes," Jonathan whispered once he was done.


    "Hell to the n-" I didn''t get to finish the protest as he pped a hand over my mouth and pinned me with his gaze.


    "Hell to the yes, thank you for helping me, Jonathan. Thest thing I need is for my pregnant mate and Luna to see me in this state." As the words fell from his lips, his eyes widened in realization, as if he had told me more than he was supposed to. Then, he added, "you know nothing about Luna Aife, got it? She will share the news once she''s ready, but up until that point, you''re in the dark. Keep in mind that I''m just as good at stiching up people as I am at cutting them."

 49: You drugged me.

    **Jonathan pov**


    Zion finally shut his mouth and agreed to let me help him. Figured it would be harder to make him see reason, but as it turned out, the guy still had somemon sense. Suppose the remark about his mate did something after all. And truth be told, I didn''t want to hit him below the belt. I wanted to make a point - his mate really didn''t need to see him like this. With clothes on, it was bad, and without, it was even worse.


    As I threw his arm around my shoulders and helped Zion down the narrow corridor, I could feel the weight of his exhaustion hanging on me - both mental and physical. While I had no idea how bad his experience in Bane''s pack was, it couldn''t be all berries and flowers, that was for sure.


    The man barely held himself upright, but he still tried to walk with some sense of dignity. Sure, as stubborn as ever, like any other Beta I had met before.


    "Almost there," I hissed, ignoring the pain that kept shooting up my back. The strain of my voice betrayed how much I was struggling, but at least Beta Zion didn''tment on that.


    We reached the bathroom and I eased him onto the stool near the sink. While at first, I nned to give him a shower, the horror that crossed his face was enough for me to understand that wouldn''t be the best idea, so I grabbed a cloth and wet it in the sink.


    Turning to Zion, I cleared my throat. "Should I help you drop the clothes or you can do it yourself?"


    I knew how important pride was for higher ranked wolves, so I had to double check with him. Zion grinned, like a child that got his favorite candy, and wiggled his eyebrows. "Go on, all of this," he motioned towards his body, "is all yours."


    With an annoyed huff, I helped him out of his clothes and started to scrub the dirt and blood off his skin. Zion dropped the stubbornness and leaned forward, running a shaky hand through his matted hair.


    "You don''t have to do this," he whispered. There wasn''t much fight left in him, so the words didn''t sound convincing at all.


    "Don''t start," I mumbled and rinsed the blood off the cloth. "Let me help. We''ll forget this ever happened once it''s over."


    Zion didn''t bother to argue again. As I cleaned him, I noticed how the tension slowly left his muscles and for a while, the only sound around us was the water in the sink and his asional sharp intake of breath whenever I hit a sore spot. I was almost done with cleaning him up when Zion spoke again. "I knew he was slipping, you know. Bane''s been holding it together by a thread for a while now."


    I paused and nced at him. "Well, he hides it well, I suppose. You can''t try to find your me in the situation now. That''s not healthy."


    Zion let out a weak, bitterugh and shook his head. "Too well, in fact. Maybe you''re right, maybe I can''t me myself, but I let myself believe he kept managing it and that''s pretty stupid of me. He''s my best friend, damn it. I should''ve known better, tried harder, done anything to prevent this from happening."


    Zion leaned back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling, his face void of emotions, "but the worst part? I''m the one who made it worse. I''m the one who''s responsible for adding the final nail in his coffin." "What do you mean?" I asked, rather taken aback by the odd admission of guilt.


    "Aife," Zion whispered her name. "I sent her away. It was my idea. Right before Bane realized she''s his mate. I thought I was doing the right thing, I swear I meant no harm. With how things were going, I had to try to protect her and keep her safe. She wasn''t safe with him back then. But all I did was rip his mate away from him and now, fuck, now my best friend is gone."


    Tears streamed down his face when Zion finally choked out thest words. Carefully, I ced my hand on his leg as an attempt to reassure him, but I wasn''t sure that was working at all.


    "It''s not all on you, Zion," I tried to emphasize the statement so he could hear I was serious. "You didn''t know how much he could spiral because of that."


    Zion shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "But I should''ve known! I should know my best friend better than anyone does!"


    There wasn''t much I could say, especially since Zion had already convinced himself all of this was his fault and there was no changing his mind, so I finished cleaning him in silence. Once I was done, I handed him a towel to dry off and helped him into fresh clothes. By the time we made it to the living room and I settled him onto the couch, some of the color had returned to his face.


    "Why do I feel so much better? I felt like I was dying ten minutes ago. Did you add drugs to that water?" Zion chuckled.


    Leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, I crossed my arms in front of my chest and shrugged, offering him one word response. "Wolfsbane." Zion''s eyes nearly popped out of his skill as he shouted, "what?!"


    "Calm down. It was a small dose mixed with herbs. We use it in the pack, it can give your body a chance to reset, especially when you''ve been under extreme pressure." "You drugged me!" Zion argues.


    I rolled my eyes. "You''re wee. Now, sit there and rx while I make some food."


    I walked into the kitchen and checked the pantry just as the front door opened and Zion''s mate stepped in, looking worried. She scanned the room for him, appearing more rxed when she noticed him sitting on the couch. "What is it?" I asked, stepping out of the kitchen.


    K shifted her weight and looked away. "Aife wanted to stay with the creatures in the forest and I didn''t want to leave her, but," her eyes darted to Zion, "I was worried about you."


    Zion tried to get up, but I shot him a look. "You stay here."


    His mate sat beside him, her hands instantly finding Zion''s. "I feel bad leaving her."


    "They will protect her." I stated, but she still looked worried. Given her condition, I knew it was better to ease her mind than argue, so I dropped the idea of cooking and headed for the door. "You two enjoy some privacy, I''ll go to get Aife, looks like her presence will ease both of your minds."

 50: I told you so.

    **Aife


    pov**


    At first, K was taken aback by my announcement. Hell, I was taken aback by hers. How that was possible was beyond me, but nevertheless, I was happy. Not only for myself, but her and Zion too. We were expecting little bundles of joy.


    After the initial shock, she started jumping around andughing, happiness oozed off her in waves I had never seen before. And the questions, Goddess, the amount of questions she had for me was crazy. When K finally calmed down, we sat by the tree and discussed some details until the excitement wore off and she remembered that her mate was taken away by Jonathan, and possibly needed her presence to heal faster.


    She jumped to her feet and offered me her hand, e on, let''s go and check on Zion. I want to see how he is doing. Not in the best shape these days, I''m sure you understand."


    I shed her a smile and shook my head. "I understand, go. But I''m not going just yet, it feels nice here and the Goddess knows I need some peace and quiet right now."


    K pulled back her hand and frowned at me. I could feel her hesitation as she slowly took a step back, worry etched into her face as she chewed on her bottom lip. "Are you sure you want to stay? I really don''t like the idea of leaving you out here, especially in your condition."


    I snorted out augh and waved her off. "I''ll be fine, don''t worry. I just need some time to clear my thoughts and rx. And besides," I gestured around us, "Jonathan said the creatures are here. I''m safer with them then I would be anywhere else. Not to mention that pregnancy isn''t an illness, so really, I''ll be okay."


    K hesitated a moment longer and looked around. She squinted her eyes as if she was trying to notice someone and then pointed her finger at nothing. "You, wherever you are, make sure my friend is safe here. I''m a nice person but I can be scary and dangerous too," she hissed the passive-aggressive threat and turned back to me with a gentle smile. "Just promise me you won''t stay out here for too long, okay?"


    "I promise," I whispered with a reassuring nod of my head.


    K stood frozen for a few more seconds and then turned around and walked in the direction Jonathan had left. While she didn''t know where the house was located, I was sure K relied on her senses and followed her mate''s scent. My stomach twisted at the thought. Not because Zion and K found each other, no, I was happy they did. What bothered me was the fact that Zion''s scent was overpowered by the stench of the blood, which had to be hard on K. As soon as her silhouette disappeared among the trees, I leaned my head against the tree and closed my eyes, exhaling a heavy breath and allowing myself to rx.


    The forest was doing miracles for my mental state, ridding me of the tension and confusion that only kept building ever since I left Bane''s pack.


    I almost fell asleep until a sudden rustling to my right startled me. I looked over and gasped at something small that was darting between the trees. Was this the creature Jonathan mentioned? So tiny and yful?


    As I tried to notice more of it, a pinecone connected with my forehead. It bounced off me and I couldn''t help but chuckle as I picked it up and looked around, grinning like a fool. "Is this for me? A gift?" I called out, tossing it back in the direction it came from.


    The pinecone barely hit the ground before another one was thrown my way, this time, barely missing me. Iughed and shook my head as I repeated the game, picking it up and tossing it back. For a while, the game went on and I allowed myself to enjoy the childish entertainment.


    The presence of these creatures was odd, but stillforting in a way. But soon, the game changed and instead of tossing the pinecones my way, they started throwing them into the woods, all of them nearly showing me the direction I was supposed to follow.


    So I did, I got to my feet and followed their directions. These creatures really seemed to be leading me somewhere, the glowing forms darting ahead, just barely out of reach for me.


    When the woods became denser, I hesitated with each step I took, but curiosity was only building within me, so I tossed away any doubts I had and kept powering forward.


    And then, I saw it - a wolf, lying down, seemingly hiding in the taller grass. It was silver-grey and somehow, it managed to blend with the forest. My eyes scanned it until they stopped on its leg, caught in a bear trap. "Oh, my, you poor thing," I whispered, catching the wolf''s attention, and taking a slow step closer.


    It growled and bared teeth at me, making me stop in my tracks. I raised my hands to show I wasn''t a threat, just there to help. "I''m not going to hurt you, I just want to help," I whispered, praying the wolf hadn''t lost its human self yet and still understoodnguage.


    Slowly, I walked closer, "that trap looks nasty. Let me help you, okay?"


    It didn''t respond, of course it didn''t, but it didn''t attack me either. Taking that as a permission, I knelt by the leg and reached for the mechanism to press it down with all my strength. The trap opened and the wolf managed to slide the leg free.


    As soon as it realized it was free, the wolf put distance between us as quickly as it could. I stayed where I was, avoiding sudden movements. "Wait, don''t run off. You need to let that heal first. If you run, you''ll make it worse and be easier prey for others."


    "Please," I whispered. "Let me help you. You cane with me, I''ll tend to the wound and get you some food. You can leave as soon as you get better." Begging a rogue toe home with me wasn''t a good idea, but I also couldn''t leave someone hurt behind without trying to help.


    For a moment, the wolf''s expression softened, almost like it was about to agree, but then, the sound of crunching leaves behind me made it snarl.


    "Aife, get back," Jonathan hissed. I turned to see him striding toward me and before I knew it, he put himself between me and the wolf, shielding me with his body.


    "Jonathan, wait! I''m trying to help!"


    He shot me a look of disbelief. "You don''t know what a rogue is capable of."


    "The wolf is injured," I insisted.


    Jonathan blew out a heavy breath and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly irritated. "You keep dragging home strays, Aife. One of these days, it''s going to backfire."


    "Not today," I mumbled and smiled at the wolf, who stood near us, watching us carefully. "Please, Jonathan. Only until the leg heals."


    He grumbled something under his breath but finally dropped the stubbornness.


    "See? You''re safe. Let''s get you fixed up." I offered the wolf.


    It hesitated for another long moment before taking a shaky step toward me. Relief washed over me as I reached out a hand, moving slowly so I didn''t startle her. Yes, I was sure this wolf was a she, no male wolf was this pretty. "Fine. But if this goes wrong, I''m saying ''I told you so." Jonathan grumbled under his breath.


    I grinned. "Deal."

 51: Brave or stupid?

    **Bane


    pov**


    The air from the cells made me feel like I was suffocating, even when I pulled in massive, greedy chunks of air. The more I breathed, the harder it was, the more my lungs burned in protest.


    And my mind, fuck, that was an awful ce to be in. It was stuck in a moment of tension only desperate fear could create, one I learned existed only when I spoke to the guards, begging them to tell me my best friend was alive, not tossed in some ditch like yesterday''s news.


    But Zion was smart and I knew that. Smarter than any other fucker I had ever met. My best friend figured a way to get out of the hell that the other side of me had created for him.


    The issue was that I couldn''t think of it. If the bastard who poisoned my body with his presence even suspected that Zion might still be alive, he would stop at nothing until he hunted my best friend down and gutted him like a fish. The monster thrived on making me watch everyone I ever cared about suffer. And worst of all, he found a way to do it with my hands - how to make be the viin in everyone''s story.


    When I returned to my bedroom, fully intent to lock myself away from the innocent members of the pack, I felt like I had run a thousand miles. The exhaustion was so overpowering that it seeped deep into my bones.


    Every step I took felt heavier, the sense of guilt for the crimes that fuckermitted was weighing me down, not him. The bastard didn''t feel an ounce of shame and regret for his doings.


    With my heart still aching in my chest, I walked to the mirror and faced myself. I paled at the reflection I didn''t recognize. Gone was the strong, powerful Alpha and instead of him, stood someone with pale skin and hollowed-out look in his eyes. Not the man I used to be, but the man he made me to be.


    And then, just as suddenly as it all ended, it started back again.


    Ugly, ck lines snaked across my face, physically pulsing under my skin like veins filled with the most deadly poison. The lines crept up from my neck first and then slowly spread over my jaw and cheekbones, twisting and curling over my skin like roots that were pulling their host to the surface.


    My chest tightened, I had to grip the edge of the dresser for bnce, the knuckles of my fingers turned white from the sheer force I was using.


    "Not yet," I hissed at my reflection, refusing to believe he wasing back again. "I don''t fucking need you, let go, bastard!"


    But as it had been for a while, I had no power in this situation. The lines only darkened and soon, I felt the familiar yet horrifying pull that connected me to that awful part of myself.


    And then, like a fucking magic trick, it happened again - a force dragged me inward, away from control of my own body. My vision blurred and the room tilted as I disappeared into the darkest parts of my own mind, just like that, bing the prisoner of my own body.


    As soon as I was locked in again, the monster stepped into my ce and soon, I watched from the confines of my mind how the bastard was staring at me in the mirror image now.


    First, he turned my head from side to side, almost like he just wore a bodysuit and had to ensure it fit perfectly. Then, he grinned, paying extra attention to the ckened veins that told everyone the host was in charge now.


    "Weak," it spat at my reflection, baring teeth like an animal. "So weak, Bane, it''s pathetic. You really thought you could hold on? Against me? Please don''t fool yourself with delusions as such. You''re losing everything and you know it, my boy. One piece at the time."


    I could only watch from the prison of my own mind. I hated how helpless the fucker made me feel while he only enjoyed himself,ughing in my voice. More than that, I hated how he mocked me, how he used every time I failed to hold him back as ammunition to get under my skin - literally.


    Right as he opened his mouth again, surely to gloat some more, there was a knock on the door. His smile widened as it turned and headed for the door, crossing the room like a predator, about to get to his prey.


    He unlocked and opened the door to face one of the guards. Everything within me froze as I saw the guard''s grip on udia, one of the maids - the same maid who was supposed to be on the run. She stumbled as the guard shoved her into the room and chuckled as the poor woman fell to her knees.


    "This traitorous bitch," the guard growled and kicked udia in the ribs, "helped Beta Zion''s mate escape the territory and tried to run away herself too."


    udia cried out in pain, clutching her side as she tried to crawl away and shield herself from more blows, but the guard only grabbed her hair and yanked her back. "Thought you''d get away with it, huh?"


    The monster tilted my head, his eyes following the scene while I couldn''t feel a single emotion surge through him. He was so calm and uncaring - it was unsettling. And soon after, I felt the first emotion appear, which happened to be amusement. He felt delighted watching the guards'' cruelty.


    "Is that so?" He mused and forced my body forward, even though I tried to fight against him.


    The guard looked up and nodded, his chest puffed out with pride. "Caught her trying to slip out through the eastern edge. She was covering their tracks. Must''ve thought we wouldn''t notice."


    udia''s wide, tear-filled eyes met mine. She wasn''t looking at the monster. She was looking at me. Pleading and begging for mercy. But I couldn''t move, couldn''t speak. I was nothing but a spectator to my own body. "Good work," the monster said, nodding to the guard. "Leave her. I''ll deal with this one personally."


    The guard hesitated, ncing down at udia. "Should I stay, Alpha? Just in case-"


    "I said leave," the monster snapped, cutting off the guard.


    The guard flinched away and released his hold on udia before he necked out of the room and shut the door behind him.


    udia did her best to push herself off the floor, but she froze when the monster crouched in front of her and gripped her chin, forcing the poor woman to look up at him. "You''re very brave or very stupid, I''m not sure which one it should be. What do you think? Brave or stupid?"


    Her eyes filled with tears, but she fought against them and refused to speak. The monster grinned at her wider, clearly satisfied with her defiance. "No answer? That''s a shame, I was hoping for a bit of a fight."


    Inside, I screamed at it to stop, to leave her alone, but it was like shouting into a void. The monster''s grip tightened on her chin, and I could feel her terror like a knife in my chest.


    "Let''s see what secrets you''re hiding. And then, we''ll decide what to do with you."

 52: Step one, kick in the balls.

    **Thane


    pov**


    The small room was dimly lit, felt too crampy and the few men before me made me feel like this ce was suffocating me. The only light came from a smallntern on the top of the table.


    The walls seemed to close in on me, as if in this odd silence between us, the stupid barn room was holding its own breath, waiting for us to finally break the silence.


    I sat at the head of the table, one ce in this world I never thought I would upy. I never thought I stood high enough to sit in such an honorable spot, but desperate times called for desperate measures.


    "This is fucking madness," Torin grumbled, his massive arms crossed in front of his chest, as if he was trying to protect himself from something. The light caught on the scar that cut across his tight jaw, reminding us all that the man had been through more than plenty of battles and came out alive. "We can''t hide away in the barn like a bunch of bitches and talk big talk about overthrowing our Alpha. Do any of you realize the consequences we might have to face if anyone finds out about this little meeting, hmm?"


    "What else do you suggest we do, then?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "We sit here and watch how he tears the pack apart bit by bit? We can watch how he throws innocent people into the cells and does worse? First it was Zion, his damn best friend, and now, that maid, udia, she''s lucky to still be alive, man. Do you think this is what Bane would want for his pack?"


    The room fell silent, all the men around me shifted uneasily in their seats, their gazes darting everywhere but at me. These were the men I had fought beside,ughed with, shared meals with. But now, their faces were frozen with doubt and fear, showing me just how much they didn''t trust my judgment.


    All of them were terrified, but it wasn''t an enemy outside the pack, crowding the borders and waiting for the perfect moment to strike they feared. It was the man who was supposed to lead us that they were scared of.


    "Bane''s not himself anymore," Kieran suddenly spoke up, his usually steady and gruff voice sounded weak, even pained. "We all know that, Thane. Whatever that thing inside him is, it''s not our Alpha. Bot how the fuck do we fix this? How do we help and most importantly, how do we get him back?"


    "The entity," I started and leaned forward, hoping all of them were listening intently so I wouldn''t have to repeat myself and risk being overheard. "I believe it thrives on his anger and pain. We need to think about how we can weaken it before we strike. But first, we need to figure out what the fuck it is and how we can separate that thing from Bane. That has to be the priority."


    "Easier said than done," Torin mumbled under his breath. "What do we even know about that thing inside Alpha? It''s not like the slimy bastard has offered us a guidebook to follow. Step one, kick in the balls. Step two, fuck off." "Maybe not," I admitted and pinned Torin with my re. As much as I understood that he was trying his best to deal with the situation using humor, this wasn''t the time for that. "However, we''ve seen that things patterns, haven''t we? It takes over when Bane is at his weakest and won''t fight back. Or can''t fight against it. Those are mostly the moments when Alpha''s emotions get the better of him."


    "And how do we stop that? Keep him calm or sedated, maybe? You think it''s that simple?" Kieran snapped.


    "No, I don''t, damn it! But what other choice do we have here? We can try to intervene when he''s still himself, if the thing lets go of control soon. We can try to convince Alpha to let us help him. I don''t know, check the libraries for information, find someone who knows stuff about this shit. Anything. But there has to be a way to-"


    Before I could finish the thought, Torin cut me off, his voice raising with anger. "To, what, Thane? What exactly? To banish a demon? To save a man who''s barely holding onto his own mind? Do you even hear yourself now, Thane? You''re talking about wishing for Christmas miracles!"


    I leaned back in my chair and ran a hand through my hair. Torin''s frustration mimicked my own, but we couldn''t afford to let out emotions get the better of us. Look what that did to our Alpha.


    "First, we need to gather more information," I decided out loud, nodding in agreement with my idea. "We need to talk to the elders of the pack, dig into the history maybe. There has to be some information about this. I refuse to believe that this thing came out of nowhere and randomly targeted our Alpha out of all people. We all know how strong and capable Bane is, he is no weak target."


    The room fell silent again. Kieran just stared at the table, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. Torin looked away, his jaw tight, face locked in an emotion I couldn''t describe. And even as I sat here, waiting for the verdict, I could feel their doubts and fears pushing down on me. And honestly, as much as I hated to admit it, I shared the same feelings.


    "What if we can''t save him?" I asked in a whisper, breaking the silence. The words felt like poison in my mouth, bitter and disgusting, but I had to ask the question even though I refused to believe that could be a possibility. There were always risks involved and this scenario was one of them. "What if there is no way to get Alpha Bane back to the man and leader he used to be?"


    Kieran''s head snapped up from the table, his eyes wide with pure horror. "Thane, you''re not saying that-"


    "I''m saying that we need to be prepared for the worst, even if we desperately hope for the best oue for this nightmare." I exined before he could finish his thought. "If we can''t get rid of the thing inside him and Bane can''t fight it off on his own, we have to think about what will be best for the pack. What will be best for everyone."


    Torin stood so abruptly that his chair fell backwards andnded on the old floor with a loud thud. His finger pointed at me usingly as he hissed, "you''re not talking about killing him!"


    "I''m talking about saving the pack!" I shot back, jumping to my feet just as quickly as he did. "If ites to that, we can''t let that thing keep using Bane! You''ve seen what that thing is capable of! Do you want more people to end up like udia? Like Beta Zion? Even the higher ranks aren''t safe from him, let alone the rest of us!"


    Torin''s fists clenched, his face turned bright red, and for a moment, I thought he might take a swing at me. But then, he let out a sharp breath and turned away from me to pace the small room.


    "It won''te to that," Kieran finally spoke up. "It can''t. We''ll find a way to save him, we have to."


    I nodded in agreement, ignoring the doubt that had nted itself in my mind already. I wanted to believe him, I really did. I fucking hoped we could save Bane. But, as I looked around the room at the faces of my friends, I couldn''t deny that with all their effort to believe our Alpha wasn''t gone for good, they, too, struggled to believe we could save him without a lethal oue for him, or us.

 53: How is he?

    **Aife


    pov**


    The day was exhausting - so many things happened in a row that by the time the evening came and night slowly started settling over thend, I was d that soon, I could get some rest. But first, I decided to go outside for a while and enjoy the cool air on the porch. As soon as I sat down, I sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the paint scent of the pine trees lingering around me. My hands instinctively settled on my t belly and a faint smile spread across my lips. I couldn''t feel the baby kick yet, it was too soon, but I could feel the life that was growing inside me.


    Slowly, my thoughts traveled to the baby. Would the baby have Bane''s mesmerizing eyes? Maybe my hair. Or maybe, the baby would surprise me with somethingpletely their own, looking nothing like Bane and me. I didn''t care about the gender, never really thought about preferences, all I wanted was to ensure my baby was born healthy and in a safe environment.


    As I kept thinking more about the tiny life growing inside me, I couldn''t help but smile. My life had been nothing but a painful mess of chaos for thest few months, so this baby was the first ray of happiness that I''ve gotten. The injured rogue wolf whimpered, pulling me from my thoughts. It still refused to return back inside the house,ying a short distance away from me, as if protecting me from any danger that might linger outside.


    It hadn''t tried to run, not even when it met Zion and K. I''ve been watching it for a while so I quickly figured that the wolf''s scents were extremely sharp. It kept watching everything around us, every little nose caught its attention, but again, it didn''t leave. That simple fact filled me with an odd sense of relief.


    The door to the house opened and K slowly stepped outside, holding two cups of tea in her hands. I knew its tea without catching the whiff of mint lingering around her, mainly because Jonathan insisted that both of us were banned from having any coffee.


    She handed one of the cups to me without a word and sat beside me, her gaze instantly followed mine and focused on the injured wolf.


    "It''s still here," K whispered and brought the cup to her lips, blowing the steam off the hot drink.


    I nodded and repeated her action, smiling to myself just a little. "I''m surprised, honestly. The poor thing is scared out of its skin, that much anyone can see. But, nevertheless, it''s staying put. Honestly, I think it''s more curious than anything else, watching and waiting to see what happens next."


    K sipped her tea and watched the wolf for a few seconds. "But that''s a good sign, isn''t it?"


    "I think so. But it worries me too, a little. The wolf hasn''t shifted. If it''s been in wolf form for too long, it might mean..." I trailed off, not really wanting to voice my assumption out loud.


    "You think it has lost the human part, don''t you?" K finished my thought for me.


    I nced at her, a little taken aback how blunt she was with her words. "It''s possible. Some shifters lose themselves if they stay in their wolf form for too long and vice versa. They forget who they are."


    K shook her head and offered me a reassuring smile. Not this one, I don''t think that''s the case. Just look at the wolf, Aife. It listens to you, doesn''t it? Yes, it''s cautious and I''d say for a good reason, but it''s not wild. If it had truly lost itself, it wouldn''t be sitting there, letting you help tend to wounds and guarding you like a domesticated dog."


    Her words gave me a sense offort, but the doubt was still there. Nevertheless, I nodded and took another sip of tea as afortable silence settled over us. The wolf yawned and settled its head on its paws, the ears twitchedzily at every sound. For a moment, everything around us felt calm.


    But calm couldn''tst, not with my thoughts and worries. My mind drifted back to the pack, the chaos I left behind when I ran. Slowly, I turned to K and braced myself for the question I could barely whisper. "How is he?" K furrowed her eyebrows. "He?" She repeated, acting clueless. "You mean Zion? He''s seen better days, but he''s okay, Jonathan is helping him to bed as we speak."


    I shook my head. "Don''t do this to me, K. You know who I''m talking about."


    K''s eyes fell to the cup in her hands, zeroing in on the liquid like it was the most mesmerizing thing she had ever seen. I could hear the wheels turning in her head as she decided how much she wanted to tell me. And when she didn''t answer, I only kept pressing harder.


    "K, I think I deserve an answer to my question. I know things have to be bad back there just based on how Zion looks. I can only assume what is going on, but you''ve seen it first hand. You know what''s happening, so please, just tell me the truth. I can handle it."


    K sighed and set her cup beside her. "It''s not that easy to exin, you know. The pack is struggling and Alpha Bane. Shoot, Bane is not himself, Aife. Not in the way you remember him."


    I swallowed and tightened my grip around the cup. "How bad is it?"


    K hesitated for a moment and when she looked at me, her gaze was filled with something I couldn''t quite ce. Pity, perhaps? Or possibly fear, I wasn''t sure.


    "He lost control. There''s a thing inside him and it has taken overpletely. He''s hurting people. He hurt Zion. The pack is falling apart, Aife. Some people are trying to hold everything together while others are too scared to breathe near him."


    I could barely hold back the tears as I thought about the women who were already fearing for their lives every day. Also, after seeing the state Zion was in, I suspected it had to be bad, but hearing it made everything much worse. "Why was Zion hurt? Why did Bane do that? They''re best friends."


    K''s expression darkened in an instant, I could see the hatred burning in her eyes. "He tried to protect me and the pack. Bane made Zion his first target. It''s not safe there anymore."


    My hands started trembling so I set the cup down before I spilled the tea. My eyes traveled back to the wolf and I tried to focus on the injured animal instead. The horror K described felt like a nightmare and sadly, everything felt too real too.


    "We have to do something," I muttered, more to myself than K.


    She didn''t agree, only reached over to squeeze my hand and whisper. "We''re both expecting, Aife, this stress isn''t good for our babies. Let''s head inside and get some rest."


    While I agreed and followed right on her heels, I knew I couldn''t stand by and do nothing. I might have escaped the nightmare, but now, I was sure I had to go back. With or without help.

 54: I am your Alpha. I am your God.

    **Bane


    pov**


    The days passed by and mixed in one big, jumbled mess of a blur. Lately, even the air in the packhouse felt heavy and oppressive, but at the same time, the mood was something like the calm before a storm. Every day, my body moved without mymand, against my will while the fucker relished in my misery, making it a point to emphasize every thing he could do and I had no power over.


    My muscles were tense, painful, almost like my body had developed a mind of its own and did its best to fight against the influence of the monstrous being that had no business controlling us, but the same as me, the body was too weak. And now, as he stalked down the halls, chest puffed out like some hero, my men scattered at the sight of him, too scared to end up anywhere near him. Anywhere near me.


    They learned the hard way that it was better to stay out of his way.


    I couldn''t help but let out a bitter chuckle that he ignored, the same as the few words I had uttered after he took over my body all over again. But this time, I didn''t want to catch his attention. The slip-up was just that, a slip-up.


    The situation was ridiculous, too absurd to believe, but here I was, a living, trapped example of how awful a life could be to someone who was nothing but one of many of the victims, forced to suffer the consequences of someone''s else''s doings.


    As he kept moving forward, almost like he had a goal on his mind, I could feel the helplessness fading and slowly being reced with the rage. But the powerful emotion that was boiling in my veins, setting my skin on fire, wasn''t my own. It was his.


    My nails dug into my palms until they broke the skin and drew blood, but the pain wasn''t enough to stop the body from moving - not me - him.


    "You call yourselves warriors? Someone worthy of being a part of a pack as great and powerful as this one?" The monster roared at the men parting in his way, using my damn voice that sounded nothing like myself. He sounded too angry, tone tooced with venom.


    He spun on his heel to face a group of men lingering around the door of one of many rooms down this particr hallway. Their eyes widened in horror, but none of them dared to speak out of turn.


    "Cowards!" My - no, his fists mmed into the nearest wall, splintering the wood beneath the force of the punch. I could feel the skin on my knuckles split and sting in pain, feel the blood dripping down my fingers.


    This was one of the things I hated the most how he abused and broke my body with no regard, enjoying the ride of the high horse while I was the one suffering. But not only me, I could whine and bitch all I wanted, because while I became a prisoner locked in my own body, the pack members were the ones who were taking the brunt of his anger.


    And even now, facing the rage of this bastard, they didn''t respond to his words and anger. All of them knew better than that. Or so I thought.


    An older pack member took a step forward, that brave fool, and sucked in a deep breath before he spoke up. "Alpha, we-"


    He tried, but the monster had no patience with anyone. "Silence!" He screamed, cutting off the poor man, scaring him into looking like a small, scolded child. The old man stepped back in his ce, but that wasn''t enough for the bastard controlling me. He red at my men and hissed, "you dare to speak out of turn? Dare to stand here and defy me? Spit in my face?"


    The old man tried to respond, most likely intent to deny the baseless usations, but it was toote, the monster was already moving. I could only watch how my hand grabbed the front of the weaker man''s shirt and lifted his body as if he weighed nothing.


    The man gasped, his hand instantly covered mine, wing at the skin in a desperate attempt to free himself from the grip. But it didn''t help, the monster''s hold only tightened.


    "Weak," I heard my voice that again, wasn''t my own, echoing against the walls around us. "All of you, fucking weak. Spineless worms, that''s the best you can do."


    With a flick of my arm, the old man was tossed across the hall. I gasped, watching how the man hit the wall hard and fell to the floor with a loud, painful groan. The others didn''t move to help him up, frozen in fear, too terrified to move a muscle.


    Worst of all, the monster was enjoying this. The fear around us that paralyzed the pack members fed this asshole, he relished in it, sucked it up like there was no tomorrow.


    I couldn''t take it, I tried to scream and trash against him, bang my fists against the invisible barrier that separated me from my mind and my body, but nothing. Not a word left my lips, not amand, not even a growl that would usually shake the windows.


    My hands wed at my hair, grabbing onto it and yanking until I ripped some out. I was at the end of my rope, desperate to break free and fight my way out while this asshole was relishing in my suffering. The more I did, the more I fought against him, the more its power grew and grip on me tightened.


    "You fools thing you can hide from me?" He suddenly snarled, addressing no one in particr and everyone around us at the same time. "You think you can stand here and defy me? I am your Alpha. I am your God. You have no right to breathe until I allow you to."


    Inside the cage I was locked in, I screamed again, louder this time. Not in anger and madness, but in desperation. I wanted to find a way to stop this, to protect my pack from the influence of this thing that pretended to be me, but I couldn''t get out. Fighting was useless, the monster only took my energy and fed on it, using my life force to feed his own.


    "This pack is mine and mine only," he dered and started pacing the hall, eyes scanning the terrified faces of the men I knew were scared of nothing - except for what I had be. "And I will destroy everyone who dares as much as think about standing in my way. I don''t offer a choice, this is not your fucking fairytale idea about with me or against me. No, weaklings, it''s nothing alike. In my pack, you stand with me or you''re dead."

 55: It’s her.

    **Bane


    pov**


    He made his point perfectly clear. So much so that he left the men behind only after all of them bared their necks to him in submission. He had gotten what he wanted, not nearly enough fight and bloodshed, but nevertheless still enough for


    now.


    I felt like I was about to lose my mind when he started moving again, the same concentration and purpose forced into each step as earlier. It terrified me to no end, just knowing that he was nning something was enough for me to lose my mind.


    But to my surprise, instead of seeking more trouble, he returned to the bedroom I once called mine. It was for the better if I thought of my pack members, at least he wasn''t there to terrorize them. For me? Well, I had grown used to his taunts and torment, used to every fucking word and threat that came from that mouth.


    Deep down, both of us knew that there was no way he''d ever get everything he wanted if it couldn''t break mepletely. He needed absolute control of my body and mind to fulfill his ns and wait until the next lifetime for him came. Even now, I could feel the excitement that ran through the body as he thought of the same idea that just crossed his mind. He needed to find a woman, any woman would do, but he needed one strong enough to carry a son. That was his only purpose - he needed to pass down the curse and start his fucking game all over again.


    When he stepped in front of the mirror, I groaned. I had grown to hate mirrors. Every single one of them in the pack house that I faced was a traitor.


    They reflected a face I barely recognized anymore. Kind of mine, but twisted and more cruel with those ck veins crawling across my skin like a painting of a deadly disease. Which, for the record, was just that - a disease that would eventually drag me to an early grave.


    The monster grinned as he leaned closer to the ss, a glint in the eyes that couldn''t be mistaken by anything but pure, raw evil. One of a kind, a true curse that couldn''t be cured and stopped.


    I had no words to describe just how much I hated that face, hated that grin and even more, hated the power this look in his eyes held over me.


    "Oh, Bane," he muttered as a sly smile spread across my lips in the reflection. I couldn''t take this anymore, couldn''t tell if it was still my body and face I was watching or if it was his for good. "You feel so angry, so helpless," he added, pointing a finger at the temples.


    I didn''t respond, didn''t acknowledge I ever heard his words. I just couldn''t. But I was watching, always, and he knew that - that was enough to use against me.


    "Do you want to know whates next, hmm?" He asked, running a hand down its cheek, almost like he was admiring the marks across my face, the damn lines that showed everyone who was in control. "Should I tell you? Or do you prefer surprises? Tell me."


    Without waiting for the answer he was demanding, he grinned. "It''s her," the words left him in a whisper, a soft voice that didn''t fit the underlying threat hidden in those two words. "Your precious little princess is next. Aife, that was her name, right? She wille here for you, you know that, right? They will talk - the whispers will first spread in the pack and then travel over the borders of the pack. Sooner orter, she will learn how far you have fallen and how much you need her here. And when that dayes, she wille running back to you. We both know how naive she is, that stupid little girl wille back thinking she can save you from yourself."


    No.


    "Oh, yes," he purred, very delighted with the one word answer that was supposed to stay locked in my mind, definitely not heard by him. "She will walk right into my trap just like that, and I don''t have to do anything for her to do that. Just sit back and wait. And when she does, hell, that''s when the fun will finally begin. Can''t wait."


    As cold shivers froze my entire being, it only leaned closer to the mirror, a cruel glint danced in its eyes as the grin on my lips grew forcefully wider. "I will catch her, Bane. Trap her in my little web of lies. And then, ever so slowly, I will break her, piece by piece. I will make her scream for mercy, beg and plead for you to save her. But you," it stopped talking tough at my face and shook his head in amusement. "You will watch me do it all. Every. Single. Moment. And you won''t do a thing about it."


    I thrashed against the walls of the mental prison he had created for me, desperate to stop him before he got to leave the room and watch his n start working. But he was too strong, it kept feeding off the energy I basically handed over to him on a silver tter, all because he found a way to anger and scare me so much. He knew my weakness and now, he was using it against me.


    "But wait, there''s more," he started again. "When I''m done with her, I will finally kill her. I think I''ll go slowly and painfully. Yes, sounds about right. But you, my boy, you will thank me when it''s done. Because when the timees, you will realize that I''ve done you a favor. With her death, you too, will be freed of your suffering. First, you watch her die, and then, I get rid of you once and for all."


    He stepped back from the mirror and took a moment to admire himself in a body that didn''t belong to him. "So, what do you think about my little n, Bane? Is it good or should I think about some details first? After all, I have plenty of time to sit back and wait until shees back running, so maybe, I should think about more fun things we could do together."


    I tried my best not to react, not to add more fuel to his fire and more importantly, I was refusing to feed him more of my life force. I would rather starve him and kill myself in process than ever allow this bastard to hurt my Aife.


    He chucked at my indifference, finding my silence amusing. "Oh, no need to get all salty and silent with me, my boy. You shouldn''t worry about the quality of the show, after all, you''ll have a front row seat for it all."

 56: We have a problem.

    **Killian


    pov**


    The piles of paperwork scattered all across my desk looked like neverending mountains of tasks I couldn''t get through fast enough. As soon as I sat in my chair, I literally felt like the paper was trying to swallow me whole, hide me from the rest


    of the world.


    No matter how fast I worked, the piles didn''t shrink, in fact, the paper only seemed to multiply right in front of my eyes. Every time I read a document, signed it and put it aside, I felt like two new ones appeared in ce of the one I just set away.


    I let out a heavy breath and massaged my temples, trying to scare away the headache that was pulsing behind my eyes, slowly spreading up to my forehead and hairline. This was the worst of the headaches I knew, one of frustration and helplessness.


    My role of leadership wasn''t all glory, fame and barking orders at everyone like I had no care in the world. In my reality, it was hours of different documents - proposals, offers, forms, reports and even more shit about budgeting and cutting


    corners.


    No matter how many people thought that being an Alpha was fun, fuck, it wasn''t.


    Just as I reached for another piece of paper, a knock on my office door startled me so much, I jumped in my seat. The sound caught me off so much, for a second there, I wasn''t sure what I was supposed to do next and how to react. But, before I could respond and call out to whoever stood behind that door, it creaked open and Kayson stepped in, a slight smirk across his lips. But this one wasn''t the regr, cocky smirk we all knew so well, this was tight and tense - two things I never thought I''d use in the same sentence as my best friend''s name.


    I had to admit that he had been more quiet than usuallytely, withdrawn in a way that was hard to miss and ignore. The usual cockiness in his step was reced by something different, almost haunted in a way.


    I watched him close the door and walk closer until Kayson stopped at the chair across from me and slumped into it without a word. Silence didn''t look good on him.


    "You look like you''ve been through hell. On your knees, probably," I said, trying to keep my tone as light as possible and arched an eyebrow at him, almost like I was challenging him to lie to me.


    Kayson snorted out augh, but the sound didn''t carry much genuine humor behind it. "Thank you, the best of the best friends, my dear Killian. You''re a charmer, as always, I''m ttered."


    I leaned back in my chair and dropped the idea of working on any paperwork, instead, focusing on a chance to study him for a little longer. If I didn''t, there was a big chance that I might force a foot in my mouth and say something absolutely stupid.


    The dark circles under Kayson''s eyes could be seen from miles away. Then, when he started rubbing the back of his neck, I noticed how tense my best friend was, acting like he was carrying an invisible weight on his shoulders. While he looked like Kayson, he didn''t feel like him.


    "Alright, enough of this back and forth bullshit. What''s going on with you? Just spit it out and stop beating around the bush. I don''t need another ''nothing'' excuse from you, so keep that in mind. And remember, I know you too well to believe any of your bullshit excuses."


    He waves me off and shook his head, as always acting like my concerns weren''t valid enough for him to consider as such.


    "It''s nothing," Kayson mumbled, doing the one thing I asked him not to. And not only that, his voice also sounded too forced to be convincing. "Let''s talk about something else, yes?" He instantly offered, fully aware his attempts to defuse the situation wouldn''t work with me.


    This guy was so full of shit that sometimes I really wondered how we became friends and held onto this friendship for so goddamn long.


    But nevertheless, although his stupidity made me frown, I still decided it was best to let this slide. For now. "Alright. What''s on your mind? There has to be a reason why you ignored my mind-link to the pack members. I told everyone I''ll be busy here and shouldn''t be distributed."


    Kayson hesitated, his gaze darted everywhere but at me. First the walls, the windows, even the piles of paper in front of me. After a little too long, his eyes finally settled on me.


    "There are rumors going around, you know. Not about you, of course. About Bane and his pack. You probably already heard a few of those, right?"


    I nodded, slowly, almost like I feared that moving too fast might discourage my best friend from getting to the point. "I''ve heard the whispers here and there. Nothing solid, really. Why are you bringing it up now, though?"


    I couldn''t help but feel suspicious about this conversation. Kayson didn''t want to share his worries with me and most likely that was why he brought up the troubles in Bane''s pack.


    Something fishy was going on with him.


    Just as I opened my mouth to ask if Bane''s issues were more important than whatever he was going through himself, Kayson leaned forward and whispered, "I didn''t want to believe it at first myself. Seriously thought it was just the usual pack rivalry nonsense. But after my patrol today, I wholeheartedly believe there''s truth to what everyone is whispering about. Keep in mind that there''s no me without smoke."


    Okay, that caught my attention. Kayson was many things, but my best friend wasn''t a man who spoke about something without a reason.


    Tapping my fingers against the table, I pinned him with my gaze. "What did you hear? No, what did you find? I need full facts, not assumptions."


    "It''s not what, it''s who," he muttered and looked at the window, doing anything to break eye contact with me. "A few people left Bane''s pack, it seems. Now, they are asking for refuge here. That''s why I came in the first ce. Listen," he huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "I get that this has to be a lot, but those people, they''re scared, man. Terrified."


    A cold chill ran down my spine. Refugees from other packs weren''t unheard of, those came and went pretty often, but from Bane''s pack? Never.


    That. That was something unheard of.


    "What did they say?" I asked.


    Kayson shook his head, his jaw tight with emotion I couldn''t read. "I haven''t had a chance to speak to them yet. I came here first thing. Right now, some of our guards are watching over them to ensure they don''t stir up any trouble. But, from what I overheard, it''s bad over there. Really bad."


    I hummed and let my mind process the information. Step by step, I put together an imaginary scenario we would follow, but before I could voice it to my Beta, my phone went off.


    I grabbed it from the desk and nced at the screen. Jonathan''s name shed across it, so I couldn''t ignore the call.


    "Killian," I grunted the answer, sort of happy Kayson wasn''t paying attention to me.


    "We have a problem."

 57: Life of an unborn child.

    **Jonathan


    pov**


    After I finally managed to get Zion to bed and made sure he was asfortable as I could get him to be, I decided to check on Aife and K.


    Both of them weren''t in the living room earlier when I ran to the kitchen to fetch some water for Zion, so I was sure they found a private space to enjoy some gossip.


    The house was quiet, the ufortable type that made every sound ten times louder. Every creak of the floorboards under my weight echoed against the walls, letting everyone know I was moving around. As I walked down the hall from the bedroom, I checked the living room again. Still empty. Since I couldn''t hear voices from inside the house, I decided to check the porch, which is where I finally saw them both. They sat near each other, both nursing cups of steaming tea in their hands, looking at the wolf that didn''t seem too eager to run off after all.


    As I approached, I could finally hear their voices, even though they were hushed, more like whispers.


    Then, I stopped and froze in my tracks as Aife spoke up again, the urgency and desperation in her voice caught me off guard.


    "How is he?" Aife asked, her tone was soft but still demanding, like she knew she deserved the answer I wished K wouldn''t offer.


    But of course, my silent prayers did nothing because K answered the question after some hesitation on her part.


    "It''s not that easy to exin, you know. The pack is struggling and Alpha Bane. Shoot, Bane is not himself, Aife. Not in the way you remember him."


    I knew that eavesdropping wasn''t right, but I still leaned against the wall to keep myself out of their sight. I shouldn''t have done that, but something in the way Aife spoke made it impossible not to try and listen.


    "How bad is it?" Aife kept pressing. She sounded like a truly desperate woman in the weirdest ways - both scared to learn the truth and dying to know every single detail at the same time. It was hard to exin.


    K hesitated again, but eventually, she blew out a heavy breath and spoke up again. "He lost control. There''s a thing inside him and it has taken overpletely. He''s hurting people. He hurt Zion. The pack is falling apart, Aife. Some people are trying to hold everything together while others are too scared to breathe near him."


    I heard the sharp intake of breath from Aife. Her next words were barely a whisper, probably meant only for her to hear. "We have to do something."


    After that, I thought that K might ignore the remark, but she only waited for a bit before she reached out and ced her hand over Aife''s, squeezing it in an assuring manner. "We''re both expecting, Aife, this stress isn''t good for our babies. Let''s head inside and get some rest."


    Aife nodded and followed K inside, thankfully neither of them noticed my presence, probably too stuck in their own thoughts to pay any attention to anything.


    As both of them disappeared somewhere into the house, I stood frozen on the spot. My chest was so tight, I struggled to breathe and the damn weight of their words was already pushing down on me heavily. Aife was right, no one could just stand by and watch Alpha Bane go mad, but also, I couldn''t let her do anything stupid.


    As lights inside the house went out, I promised myself I woulde up with a solution soon. Eventually, I returned to the living room and plopped down on the couch, but I couldn''t sleep that night.


    I spent the hours staring at the ceiling, counting the seconds until morning. My mind raced, reying their conversation over and over. The thought of Bane''s pack - of Aife''s pack - falling apart left a massive pit in my stomach. I wasn''t sure why, but I really felt off about the chance of her home being destroyed like that.


    Something had to be done, but it couldn''te from Aife. She was too vulnerable, pregnant and too emotionally involved with the whole mess. K was pregnant too and Zion, well, he had seen way better days. So, that left me.


    Eventually, when the first rays of sun shone through the curtains, I got up and quietly moved around the house, ensuring I wouldn''t wake up any of them. In the kitchen, I busied myself making breakfast. Within minutes, the smell of eggs and toast filled the air. Then, I put on the kettle for coffee, anticipating to see sleepy faces round the corner anytime soon.


    As expected, Aife appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "You''re up early," she mumbled and shed me a beautiful smile.


    Truth be told, I wasn''t surprised why Alpha Bane had to have fallen in love with this woman. There was something special about her - the strength she possessed paired with the childish innocence were intoxicating traits. Even I enjoyed spending time with her and I had never been a people person.


    "Couldn''t sleep," I muttered and forced a smile of my own as I slid a te of food onto the table right when she sat down. "Figured I''d make myself useful."


    "This looks great. Thank you, Jonathan." She grinned and instantly busied herself with eating, not looking up at me at all.


    "No problem. I was thinking of going for a quick run in the woods after breakfast. Stretch my legs a bit." I quickly blurted out my excuse, hoping to God she wouldn''t catch on my voice being a little strained.


    Aife nodded, eyes still focused on the bacon on her te. "That''s a good idea, just be careful. The forest can be unpredictable, even with the creatures protecting us and all." "Always am," I nodded.


    She didn''t question me further, just kept eating and gushed about the wonderful breakfast. As I enjoyed the cup of morning coffee and listened to her retelling of the dream she had, I felt a pang of guilt for the half-truth. But this was something I had to do.


    Later, after K and Zion woke up, had breakfast and promised me a hundred times that they would look after Aife for me, I finally left the house. The wolf Aife rescued the day before tried to follow me, but I told it to stay and to my surprise, it did. Well, okay, it did only after I told it to guard Aife.


    As soon as I entered the woods, I took off running. I didn''t shift into my wolf, seeing how my only goal was to get to a safe distance from the house. I had to be far enough that I wouldn''t be overheard but close enough to return quickly if needed.


    Once I was sure the distance was right, I stopped and leaned against the neared tree. Then, I took a couple of deeper breaths and pulled my phone from my pocket to dial Killian''s number. It rang twice before he picked up. "Killian," he grunted.


    Funny that even though he sounded grumpy, I couldn''t help but grin like an idiot as soon as I heard his voice. This was no time for gushing and mushy remarks, but I sure as fuck missed him. Too bad he had no idea how much I really did. Clearing my throat, I got to the point instantly. "We have a problem. I overheard Aife and K talkingst night. It''s bad, Killian. Real bad."


    There was a pause on the other end and some shuffling around, almost like he was trying to get rid of someone''s presence before we kept talking. "Tell me everything."


    And so I did. I told him everything I heard, every detail Zion told me about what was going on in the pack and even added my worry about the chance that Aife might try to go back.


    When I finished, Killian cursed under his breath. "Alright. Stay where you are. I''ll handle it from here, first I need to find out more about what is going on there and then, we cane up with a n. Some of his pack members are seeking refuge here, I''m sure I''ll have answers by the end of the day. Make sure she stays put and doesn''t put her life in danger, okay?"


    "I''ll do my best. From what I gather, Aife might be a pretty important piece of the puzzle here, so I''m getting worried. What if she does something stupid?" I asked and nced over my shoulder, as if scared someone might be listening in. "She wouldn''t risk the life of an unborn child."

 58: Cursed. Possessed. Black eyes.

    **Killian


    pov**


    After the call with Jonathan, I sprung into action, fearing to waste any precious second of time. Kayson took Bane''s pack members to the conference room and ensured they were given warm nkets and food. Soon, I joined them all, nodded my greeting at the scared wolves and took my seat at the head of the long wooden table, scanning the tired faces gathered around.


    Across from me sat the refugees - three women and two men. Their clothes were torn and dirty, their faces pale and drawn with exhaustion, yet their eyes burned with a fear I''d rarely seen. Kayson stood by the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest. His presence alone was enough to keep the tension in the room. I took a slow breath and leaned forward,cing my fingers together. "You''re safe here," I began, keeping my tone as steady and calm as I could. "No one is going to hurt you. But I need to understand what happened and why, of all the ces, you chose toe here."


    The group exchanged nces. Finally, one of the men, a wiry young warrior with a gash on his cheek, cleared his throat. "It started a while ago," he whispered, his voice weak. "The Alpha wasn''t himself. We all noticed it." "What do you mean?" I pressed.


    The man shifted in his seat, his gaze darting to the others as if searching for support. "He''d always been strict, but he was fair. Respected. Love, even, Then, it was like something changed overnight. He became cruel, unpredictable. People started suffering. No one was safe, even Beta Zion. No, scratch that, Beta Zion got the worst of it and now, the guards are saying Zion is dead."


    "We heard the screams," one of the women interrupted. Her voice trembled and she wrapped her arms around herself as if tofort herself. "He was dragged to the cells and never came out. Alpha... he killed Beta Zion. Tortured him to death."


    The room fell silent for a moment, her words settling over all of us. I exchanged a nce with Kayson, his jaw tight. Turning back to the group, I kept my voice calm. "You''re saying Bane did that?"


    "It wasn''t him," another woman said quickly, her dark eyes wide with horror. "Not really. It was something inside him. Something that took over and now it controls our Alpha."


    My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral. "Exin."


    She hesitated, her hands twisting in herp. "I don''t know what it is. But it''s not him. His eyes... they turn ck, like ink. And his voice changes. It''s deeper, colder. And when he''s like that, it''s like he''s not even human."


    The first man nodded, his jaw just as tight as Kayson''s. "It''s like he''s possessed. And I believe it''s not just him. I think it''s spreading. The guards closest to him, they''re different now too. They''re meaner, more violent and they''ll do anything he says, no matter how. Maybe it''s not a disease or anything of sorts, maybe they''re affected by Alpha''s behavior, all I''m saying is the pack is changing and it''s not safe to stay there anymore."


    I leaned back in my chair, processing their words. Possession. An unknown entity. ck eyes. My mind flicked through the rumors I''d heard over the years, whispers of something dark in Bane''s bloodline. I''d dismissed them as stories, exaggerations meant to tarnish a rival Alpha. But now, fuck, now it seems the rumors might have been the truth all along.


    "Why did you leave?" I asked, even though the answer seemed obvious.


    The second man, older and broader than the rest, spoke for the first time. His voice was rough, his tone bitter. "Because we had no choice. Staying meant death. Or worse."


    "Worse?" Kayson finally spoke up.


    The man nodded. "He''s using people. For what, I don''t know. Experiments, maybe. Whatever it is, no one survives it. We couldn''t stay and wait to be next."


    I rubbed a hand over my face, trying to make sense of their words. Over the years, everything I heard about Bane and his bloodline - nothing involved infecting and dragging down others. It was only about him. So, why are they telling me it''s worse than that?


    "And you''re certain it''s an entity?" I asked.


    "Yes," the first woman agreed. "I''ve seen it. It''s like a shadow, clinging to him. And it''s getting stronger."


    "Stronger how?" I pressed, leaning forward again.


    She shuddered. "The longer it''s inside him, the more it spreads. Like it''s feeding off him. I think that''s why the guards are changing too. It''s infecting them."


    "Infecting them," Kayson repeated, his voice low. He shook his head, his expression grim. "This sounds like something out of a nightmare."


    "It feels like one," the older man said. "But it''s real. And it''s not stopping."


    "What about the rest of the pack? Surely someone''s trying to resist, to fight back."


    The wiry man shook his head. "Most are too scared. Those who tried to resist - they''re gone. Either locked up or dead. And now, the rest are too afraid to speak out. He makes examples of anyone who crosses him."


    Their words pressed down on me like a load of bricks. I nced at Kayson again, his face mirroring the unease I felt. Turning back to the group, I tried to keep my voice steady. "Onest question," I started, scanning their faces. "Have you heard anything about the source of this so-called shadow? Anything at all?"


    The older man''s face darkened. "There''s a story about Bane''s family. His bloodline. People say it''s cursed. That something evil has always followed them. Most of us thought it was just a tale to scare pups around the fire. But now," he shook his head. "Now I''m not so sure."


    The younger woman spoke up next. "There was a healer once. An elder. She said something about the shadow being tied to a promise. Or a deal. Something made long ago, before Bane''s time. She tried to warn people, but no one listened. They thought she was crazy."


    "Do you believe her?" I asked.


    The woman hesitated, then nodded. "I didn''t at first. But after seeing what happened, yes. I believe her."


    The room fell silent again. I sat back, my mind racing. The rumors I''d dismissed for years suddenly seemed far less ridiculous. If there was even a shred of truth to them, this wasn''t just about Bane or his pack - this could affect us all. Bane, led by that entity, might go to war.


    "Alright. You''ve done the right thinging here. We''ll keep you safe."


    The group nodded, relief clearly evident on their faces. As Kayson stepped forward to escort them to temporary rooms, I remained seated, staring at the table while the words reyed in my mind: Cursed. Possessed. ck eyes.

 59: I can’t abandon him.

    **Jonathan


    pov**


    The walk back from the woods to the house was calm and uneventful, aplete opposite to the mess that was going on in my mind.


    The conversation I overheard between Aife and Kst night haunted me. Aife''s determination to help Bane, no matter the risks, was a problem I couldn''t ignore.


    She didn''t seem to grasp the danger, or maybe she did, and that''s what terrified me.


    I knew her well enough to know that once her mind was made up, stopping her would be like trying to halt a flood. I had to stay a step ahead, or this would end badly for everyone involved.


    When I walked into the house, the scent of tea and honey greeted me. Muffled voices, light and rxed, pulled me to the kitchen. As I stepped into the room, the conversation stopped abruptly, and three pairs of eyes turned to me. Aife, K, and Zion were seated around the kitchen table, their cups of tea half-finished. Aife smiled at me, but there was something guarded in her expression, like she was trying to hide something from me. K''s gaze darted to Zion before settling on her cup. Zion tried to act like nothing was out of ordinary, but I''d known him long enough to recognize the faint twitch in his jaw that gave him away. Maybe they were thinking they could fool me, but being who I was for so many years, my main responsibility was to always watch people, not talk. And watching, yeah, that I was good at. "Morning," I greeted them as I leaned against the doorway. "You all look cozy."


    "We''re just catching up," Aife said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes.


    "Right," I replied, letting the silence stretch a bit too long, enough to make them ufortable. Whatever they were plotting, they weren''t about to let me in on it. Fine. I''d have to work around that.


    Pushing off the doorway, I pped my hands together. "Actually, Aife, I was thinking - how about we take a trip into town today? You haven''t had a proper check-up since we left the pack, and it''s about time you saw a doctor." Aife blinked, clearly taken aback. "Now?"


    "No time like the present," I said, shing her a grin. "You''ll finally get to see your baby on a scan. Doesn''t that sound exciting?"


    K frowned. "Shouldn''t I go with her? I''m pregnant too, you know."


    "You''ve already been to the doctor plenty of times back in the pack. Aife hasn''t had that chance yet. Besides, I''ll be with her. She''s in good hands."


    Aife hesitated and nced at K. It was clear she wasn''t entirely convinced, but the promise of seeing her baby for the first time seemed to convince her. "Alright. Let me get my coat."


    "Great," I said, relief washing over me. This would keep her distracted for a while, at least. **¡ì¡ì¡ì**


    The drive to the nearest werewolf-ruled town was quiet at first. Aife stared out the window, her fingers drumming lightly against her thigh. I could tell she was thinking, she always got that distant look when her mind was working overtime. "Why isn''t King with us?" She asked, suddenly turning in her seat to face me.


    I was expecting the question and already had my answer prepared. "Like I said, she''s been to the doctor plenty of times. You haven''t. It''s important you get checked out, especially now. We need to make sure everything''s fine with the baby." Aife studied me for a moment. "You''re being very insistent about this."


    "Because it''s important," I replied, keeping my tone light. "And hey, you''ll get to see your baby for the first time. Isn''t that worth it?"


    Her expression softened at my words and a faint smile spread across her lips as she whispered, "yes."


    **¡ì¡ì¡ì**


    The doctor''s office was small but clean, tucked away in a quiet part of town. Aife seemed nervous as we walked in, not a hint of her usual excitement in view.


    When the doctor finally called her name, I stayed in the waiting room, giving her privacy. I paced the room, my thoughts all over the ce. This distraction was working for now, but how long could I keep it up? How long before her need to help Banepletely clouded her sense of caution?


    When Aife left the doctor''s office, she looked more at ease, her cheeks flushed slightly pink. "The baby''s healthy," she whispered, her voiceced with wonder and what I could describe only as true love. "I tried to find out the gender, but the doctor said the baby''s being shy. Hiding it from us."


    I chuckled. "Sounds like you''ve got a stubborn one."


    Sheughed, and for a bit, the tension between us disappeared. But, of course, I knew it wouldn''tst.


    **¡ì¡ì¡ì**


    The drive back was quiet again, but this time, when Aife broke the silence, she didn''t sound as usatory anymore. "K told me about Bane," she whispered and looked out the window.


    I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. "Did she now?"


    "She said he''s struggling. That the pack is falling apart. Jonathan, we have to do something. We can''t just leave him like this."


    I let out a heavy breath, keeping my gaze glued on the road. "Aife, you need to think about what''s best for you and your baby right now. Going back is too dangerous."


    "But he''s my mate,¡± she said, her voice breaking with emotion. "I can''t abandon him."


    "He''s not himself. You don''t know what he''s capable of right now. And it''s not just your life on the line anymore. You''ve got someone else to think about."


    She fell silent as her gaze dropped to herp.


    I hated being a dick to her, hated being the person who rubbed all the worst possible scenarios in her face, but it had to be done. "Are you willing to risk the life of your baby just to see someone who could harm you both?" Aife flinched, and I instantly regretted the harsh words, but at least, I managed to get to her. She didn''t try to argue anymore and instead, just sat in silence, eyes focusing on her hands in herp.


    When we finally pulled up to the house, she got out without a word, heading straight inside. I stayed behind for a moment to gather myself. I must have looked like a desperate man - my forehead rested against the steering wheel, eyes closed, taking in deep breaths like I was out of air.


    I hated myself for what I had said, but I couldn''t afford not to. If I hadn''t reminded her about the risks, she could do something stupid like sneak out of the house in the middle of the night and take off Goddess knew where. Let''s hope this worked.

 60: Your Alpha isn’t here anymore.

    **Bane


    pov**


    It was official now - the mirror was my worst enemy. I stood in front of it again, watching the ck lines creep over my face. They traveled down my jaw and onto my neck, pulsing like they were alive. My hands gripped the sink so hard I thought the porcin might crack under the pressure.


    I was getting worse. The thing inside me was stronger than ever, and I couldn''t do anything to stop it.


    "Oh, look at you," the monster said, its voice oozing with mockery. Its reflection smirked at me, even as my face, my real face, the one hidden in this body, stayed frozen in despair. "So angry. So helpless. You''re almost pitiful, Bane."


    I red at it, refusing to give it the satisfaction of a reply. I''d learned long ago that arguing only made it worse. My anger gave him power and that was exactly why I refused to hand it to him on a silver tter.


    "You think ignoring me will help?" It continued, tilting its head in fake concern. "It won''t. I''m going to take everything from you. Your pack. Your friends. And oh, let''s not forget dear Aife. She''s going to walk right into my trap, you know. Remember the trap, hmm? The rumors about your struggles, the poor Alpha who is suffering without her? Yeah, she''s going toe... And when she does, well, let''s say that won''t be a pretty view for you to see." My stomach twisted, but I kept my grip on the sink, refusing to break.


    "She''lle for you," it went on. "And when she''s here, I''ll make her scream. I''ll make her regret ever loving you. And the best part? You''ll get to watch every second of it. Ah, how excited this makes me, you have no clue."


    My control snapped. "Shut up!" I roared, mming my fist into the mirror. ss shattered, shards flying everywhere. My chest heaved, and for a moment, I couldn''t hear the monster. Just silence.


    I looked down at my hands, blood dripping from fresh cuts, but that wasn''t surprising at all. What caught my attention were the ck lines that were fading. I blinked, realizing what it meant.


    I''d taken back control.


    But it wouldn''tst. I could feel the monster stirring, getting ready to strike again. I didn''t have much time.


    I stumbled out of the room, not even bothering to grab a shirt. My bare feet pounded down the hall as I headed for the cells. The guards stationed there straightened when they saw me, confusion shing across their faces. "Alpha?" Gregor, one of the senior guards, called out for me cautiously.


    "Lock me up," I growled, my voice sharper than intended. "In pure silver. Now."


    They looked at each other, clearly caught off guard by the suddenmand. I would feel the same, if I was honest - guarding the cells just to have your Alpha stumble in and demand silver restraints? Yeah, that sounded like a scenario of insanity.


    "Alpha, are you sure?" Gregor asked, his tone hesitant, almost like he was testing the waters with me. "Silver will weaken you-"


    "Do it," I snapped, cutting him off. "If you want the pack to survive, you''ll do it. That''s an order."


    Gregor hesitated, looked at the other guards and then nodded. "Yes, Alpha."


    The other guards moved quickly, though their nervous nces showed how unsure they were. They led me to the silver-reinforced cell at the far end of the corridor. My breathing was ragged, each step feeling heavier than thest.


    I could feel the monster inside me trash against the little control I regained, he, the same as me, knew what could happen if I got through with my n. Good, let him enjoy a second of the suffering I''ve been experiencing with him using my body as his personal ything. No more. This fucking ends now.


    "Inside," I ordered as they opened the cell door. The silver chains hung on the walls, gleaming even in the dim light.


    The guards grabbed the gloves for their own protection and got to work. One by one, they secured the chains around my wrists and ankles. The burn of the silver against my skin was instant and sharp, but I gritted my teeth and stayed still. Gregor stepped forward with the silver neck cor, his hands trembling slightly. "Alpha, if we do this-"


    "Do it now," I barked, ring at him. "Don''t think. Just act. Do it for the pack. And don''t take these off no matter what he says - don''t listen to anything he says. The onlymand you listen to is mine and mine only."


    He nodded and snapped the cor into ce. The searing pain was overwhelming, like fire spreading through my veins. I dropped to my knees, gasping for air.


    Then it came.


    Theughter started low, then grew louder, echoing through the cell. My vision blurred as the ck lines surged back, crawling over my skin faster than before. The monster roared, ripping control away from me in a single, brutal moment. "Idiots!" It snarled, its voice a twisted version of mine. The guards stepped back, their fear almost tangible. The monster tugged at the chains, testing their strength. "You think this will stop me? You think you can hold me down? Pathetic." "Alpha?" Gregor''s voice shook as his hand gripped the hilt of his de.


    The monster turned its ck eyes on him, a wicked grin spreading across my face. "Your Alpha isn''t here anymore," it hissed. "But don''t worry. I''ll make sure you remember me."


    Inside my mind, I screamed and thrashed, desperate to take back control. But it was no use. The monster was too strong, itsughter drowning out everything else as it pulled against the chains, raging at the walls of the cell.


    I heard him use my voice to curse my men, to curse their bloodlines and promise bloodshed no nations had seen before. The vile things he said, the promises he made, all of them made me sick to my stomach.


    And all I could do was watch and silently pray to the moon Goddess not to turn her back on us and help us get rid of the root of the evil that she herself had left to rule the unfortunate of my bloodlines.

 61: A glimpse into the past.

    **Samantha pov**


    As I stepped inside the packhouse for my night shift, it was eerily silent. The empty halls reminded me of a horror movie scenario, the only sound around me being the asional creek of the floorboards under my weight. These days, it wasn''t often that one could roam these halls without the suffocating presence of Alpha Bane. But tonight, thankfully, was different and I finally had my chance to act out the n.


    Since he was locked away, rumored to be his own demand, this had to be the first time in weeks, if not months that the ce didn''t feel as dangerous and the air around here was lighter. To be fair, none of us could tell how long it had been since the monster took over, days, weeks and probably months, just mixed together in one mess.


    Slowly, I walked down the halls, casting nces over my shoulder to ensure nobody was noticing my presence, or even worse, following me. Tonight, I wasmitting a crime and if I got caught, I''d pay the price in the form of my life. Goddess, please make this risk worth it.


    As I neared the library, I could hear Thane''s voice echoing in my mind. Find the book with the green covers. It''s old, very damn old, you''ll know when you notice it on the shelf. udia told us that''s where we can find some answers, if nothing else, at least find the backstory of that monster, maybe if we know more, we can figure out how to fight it.


    When Thane told me there was a chance to find answers, at first, I didn''t want to believe it. I was a maid, not a spy, I wasn''t trained for this sort of thing.


    But did I have another choice? If there was even a sliver of hope in finding a way to stop the entity inside Alpha Bane, we had to try. Luckily or not, it meant teamwork, which was why I was acting like a traitor in my pack and snuck behind my Alpha''s back..


    When I stopped in front of the library, I nced around and let out a heavy breath before I pushed the door open and slid inside, carefully closing the door behind me.


    The room was massive, with shelves stretching from floor to ceiling, the books and trinkets covered inyers of dust.


    I jumped into action nearly instantly, fearing the risk of getting caught. "Green covers," I whispered to myself, scanning the shelves. My fingers brushed over the spines of the books as I moved, searching for anything that matched Thane''s description.


    Minutes felt like hours as I moved deeper into the library. Finally, in the corner of the farthest shelf, my eyesnded on it. An old book with dark green covers. It was in a bad shape, its edges damaged and the gold lettering on its spine barely visible.


    As I reached for it, my hand trembled, but the moment my fingers touched the book, a jolt of energy shot through me, sharp and sudden. I gasped, stepping back, but my hand remained glued to the cover. Before I could understand what was happening, the world around me faded.


    My vision blurred, and when it cleared, I wasn''t in the library anymore. I was standing in the middle of a grand hall, its walls decorated with photos and paintings. The mix of colors was beautiful, making the hall look royalty standards high. There were what looked like golden tes under nearly each painting, but the words I couldn''t understand, almost like those were written in anguage I didn''t know.


    And as if all of that wasn''t surprising enough, what truly caught me off guard was the fact that my body wasn''t my own anymore. I was a silent observer, a shadow looming over unsuspecting people, watching a scene y out before me. A woman cried out, and as I turned, I saw a man, possibly the father, holding a newborn. "A pureblood," the man dered, his voice dripping with nothing but pride. "Our son, Gideon, a true pureblood Alpha. Thank you, my love, you''ve just given me the greatest gift a man can dream of. I''m certain our child is destined for greatness."


    The scene shifted so fast, I felt a little dizzy. Next, I saw the boy, Gideon, growing up. He was strong, quick, and sly. No one could match him in a fight, and his parents watched him from the sidelines the same as I did. I noticed quickly how torn were his parents, unable to decide if they had to feel pride or unease as they watched their child grow.


    His father''s warnings echoed in my ears: "Power is a tool, not a weapon. Use it wisely, Gideon. Lead with honor, or it will destroy you."


    But Gideon didn''t listen. The scenes blurred again, and I saw him standing over the bodies of his parents, blood dripping from his hands. His father''s lifeless, empty eyes stared up at him.


    "They were weak," Gideon muttered coldly. "I''ll show the packs what true power looks like."


    Years passed in the blink of an eye. Gideon became the most feared Alpha among the packs, his name whispered with equal parts admiration and terror. He demanded loyalty and crushed anyone who defied him. His greed for power and wealth consumed him, leaving nothing but ashes in his wake.


    Gideon was unstoppable until the vision slowed and a new figure stepped into the view.


    Her hair was dark and wavy, long from what I could see, and her eyes were so piercing they seemed to see straight through Gideon. She stood tall and powerful, even as she faced Gideon in the grand hall.


    Lana, that was her name, and I knew she had to be of Alpha blood. No other woman could stand her ground against a man like Gideon like that. Beside her stood an older man, her father, the Alpha of a neighboring pack. "Gideon," the older Alpha spat. "We''vee to discuss your threats against my pack."


    Gideon leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a predatory smile. "Threats? No, old man, I don''t do threats. Promises, yeah, that sounds more like it."


    Lana''s father growled, but she ced a hand on his arm, stopping him. Her gaze locked on Gideon, and for a moment, the hall seemed to fall silent.


    "Why do you want to destroy us? What do you gain from this?" She asked, somehow maintaining more grace than I''ve seen in any other high rank woman.


    Gideon''s smile widened. "What do I gain? Everything - power,nd, resources, control." He stood, stepping closer to them. "But since I''m a reasonable man, I''m willing to make a deal."


    The older Alpha tensed. "What kind of deal?"


    Gideon''s eyes flicked to Lana, and something dark and dangerous shed across his face. "Leave your pack out of it. All I want is her."


    Lana''s father''s face turned red. "You''ll get your filthy hands on my daughter only over my dead body!" He roared.


    The room blurred again and secondster, I was back in the library. I wasn''t holding the book anymore, but everything I just witnessed felt as real as my heart beating in my chest.


    ncing at the massive clock in the library, I noticed that only a few minutes had passed since I entered the room, so, I took another brave breath and reached for the book again. This might be our only chance to find out what happened and I wasn''t about to lose it.

 62: A glimpse into the past II

    **Samantha pov**


    My hand nearly grabbed the book again, but then, suddenly, I pulled it back. It felt like the book was calling for me, but at the same time, I had this insane urge to run from the library and never look back.


    It was almost like I could feel that whatever was about to happen would be far worse than anything I''d already seen.


    My hand trembled, my breaths were shallow, but the urge to find out more overpowered my fear.


    The moment my fingers brushed against the book''s surface, the same jolt coursed through me, and the world around me vanished.


    The vision resumed, but this time, I was no longer in the grand hall. This room wasvishly decorated with silken drapes, candles, and flowers. It was a wedding.


    Gideon stood at the altar, his expression smug, his chest puffed out like he had just won the battle of the century. Beside him stood Lana, her face pale and her posture stiff. Unlike the first time I saw her, Lana didn''t look like the powerful woman she once was. Wearing the wedding dress, which had to make her look confident and gorgeous, she looked small and fragile next to Gideon.


    "Do you, Gideon, take Lana as your Luna?" The priest asked.


    "I do," Gideon said, his voice dripping with arrogance.


    "And do you, Lana, take Gideon as your Alpha?" The priest asked, eyes still focused on Gideon.


    There was a hesitation, a flicker of doubt in her eyes, but she forced herself to nod. "I do," she said softly, the words barely audible.


    "By the power granted to me by the Goddess, I now pronounce you man and wife," the priest dered. The gathered crowd cheered, even though very little of the guests looked genuinely happy about the new couple.


    Gideon raised Lana''s hand in his, grinning widely. "And now," he announced over the cheers, "a gift for my lovely wife. A gift I have made with my own hands."


    Lana''s brows furrowed in suspicion. "What kind of gift?"


    "You''ll see," Gideon said with a smirk, gesturing to one of his guards.


    The man stepped forward, carrying a silver tter covered with a dome lid. Then, he set it down on a table before Lana and removed the lid. Lana''s scream pierced the air, a sound so raw and soul-shattering that it made the vision tremble. On the tter was the severed head of her father, his eyes still wide with terror, his mouth frozen mid-scream.


    "You monster!" Lana sobbed as tears streamed down her face and she clutched her chest. "How could you?"


    Gideon''s smile widened. "Consider it a reminder, my dear. You belong to me now. There is no one left to protect you."


    The vision blurred, and when it cleared, the wedding was long gone. Lana was sitting on the floor of a dimly lit bedroom, her face bruised and tear-streaked. Gideon towered over her. "Get up," he barked, his voice dripping with hatred and amusement at the same time.


    She flinched but didn''t move fast enough for his liking. His hand shot out, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her to her feet. "You will learn your ce, Lana," Gideon growled, his grip tightening until she whimpered. "You are my wife, but don''t think for a second that makes you my equal. You are nothing but dirt under my feet."


    Lana''s lips trembled, but she didn''t speak. Gideon shoved her toward the bed. "Stay there. And don''t make mee back to deal with you again."


    Time sped up again, days and nights passing in shes. Gideon brought other women into the packhouse, mistresses who suffered the same fate as Lana. One by one, they suffered because of his cruelty, and one by one, they broke under his abuse. Some disappeared, their fates unspoken but understood. Others stayed long enough to be discarded like broken toys.


    Eventually, Gideon''s brutality turned back to Lana. She was thin and frail, her eyes hollowed by years of torment. The final blow came on a cold night when Gideon, in a fit of rage, beat her so badly that she didn''t live to see the next sunrise. The scene shifted again. I was at her funeral, watching as her coffin was lowered into the ground.


    Gideon stood at the graveside, his expression void of any emotion - there was no sorrow, no regret. He looked like a man watching a stranger''s burial.


    But then his gaze lifted, scanning the gathered faces and it stopped on a woman standing near the back. Their eyes met, and something shifted in Gideon. His lips curved into a slow, predatory smile.


    "Mine," he murmured under his breath.


    The vision jumped forward, and now, the same woman was in the middle of the packhouse, surrounded by onlookers. Gideon had imed her in front of everyone, he didn''t bother to wait for ceremonies or rituals.


    Gideon had forcefully marked her, biting into her neck while she screamed and pleaded for mercy. Gideon knew none. Even now as blood dripped from the wound on her neck, and her tears streamed down her face, Gideon didn''t care. If anything, he enjoyed it, felt pride for his doings,pletely ignoring the horrified stares of his pack.


    Time shifted again. The woman was sitting in a corner of a dark room, her face hidden in her hands. Her sobs bounced off the walls, a sound of pure pain. When the door creaked open, she looked up, and I gasped. Her face was a mess of scars, bruises, and dried blood. Her eyes were swollen, her lips cracked - she barely looked human.


    Gideon stepped into the room, a silver dagger in his hand. He shot her a sadistic grin."Is it a boy this time?" He asked. "Or do I need to cut this one out too? I''m done waiting. If you fail to carry my son, this time I''ll take your womb and find someone else worthy of bearing my heir." The woman''s sobs grew louder, but Gideon only chuckled.


    The scene shifted once more. Gideon stood alone in a graveyard, a fresh grave at his feet. The woman he had imed was gone. No one else was there - no mourners, just Gideon, staring down at the coffin with disgust. "Pathetic woman," he spat at the grave. "Only cowards take the easy way out. Rot in hell."


    As Gideon turned to leave, the air around him changed. A sudden surge of what felt like electricity shot around him and froze Gideon in his step. Then, a blinding light appeared at the gravestone and I swear, I could see a silhouette of a woman standing there.


    "Enough!" She roasted at Gideon with such force, that one word shook the earth around Gideon and threw me back into the library.


    I stumbled back, gasping for air. My heart pounded in my chest, and my knees felt weak. ncing at the clock again, my suspicions were proven right only minutes had passed. No, I wasn''t giving up yet, I needed to know more.

 63: A glimpse into the past III

    **Samantha pov**


    The graveyard was colder now, making me feel like I didn''t belong in this memory. I looked around and sucked in a deep breath, realizing that the tension around here was so heavy, I could taste it in the air. The air felt unnatural, too cold and angry to be true.


    I stood frozen, invisible and quiet as Gideon faced the mysterious woman. Between them, the air was different, nothing like what surrounded me - it crackled with supernatural power. From here, I could see, even feel the rage radiating off him, hot and bright, while hers, well, her anger was ice cold.


    Gideon paced a few steps like a caged animal, hisrge fists clenched so tightly, I could see his knuckles turn white. Oddly, from this far away, I could still see the anger that burned in his eyes.


    "Release me from this hold, you stupid bitch!" Gideon roared, his voice so loud, it echoed through the empty graveyard. "How dare you keep me locked against my will? Do you know who I am?"


    The woman didn''t even flinch at his anger. She stood tall and powerful, her eyes locked onto Gideon, not looking away and her lips were curved into a faint, mocking smile. "Oh, I know exactly who you are, Gideon," she said, her voice calm, yetced with nothing but venom and hatred. "And that''s precisely why you''re here."


    Gideon''s snarl deepened, twisting his face into an ugly expression, as he pointed a finger at her, his body shaking with barely contained anger. "I will rip you apart, limb by limb! I will make you beg for mercy before I-" "Enough!" She interrupted, her voice so loud, it could wake the dead. "Empty threats will not free you from my hold, nor will they frighten me. You are powerless here, Gideon."


    Gideonughed. The sound leaving him was harsh and guttural, one of mockery rather than amusement. "Powerless? Me? You''re nothing but a woman! Come closer, and I''ll show you just how much power I have left." His grin twisted into something cruel. "I''ll spit in your face to show you how much respect I have for you and for the pathetic dead rotting in this cursed graveyard."


    The woman''s expression grew colder, just looking at her sent shivers down my spine. "Do you have any respect at all, Gideon? For anyone? For the lives you''ve destroyed, the innocents you''ve harmed, the women you killed?" "Respect?" Gideon spat, trying to take a step closer to her, but failing as he hit the invisible wall of the cage. "Respect is for the weak. I take what I want, and I crush anyone who dares to stand in my way. That''s all there is to it." The two of them stood there, eyes locked, almost in a silent standoff, testing who would break first. Slowly, the tension around them grew thicker, more noticeable.


    The woman''s calm demeanor didn''t change, but while I could see the anger in her eyes, I also realized that there was something oddly calming about her, a caring motherly energy.


    "You disgust me," she spoke up first, her wordsced with venom. "Your arrogance has blinded you. You''ve spent your life causing pain and leaving deduction in your wake. And for what, Gideon? Power? Control? You''re nothing more than a cowardly, scared man, hiding behind his cruelty."


    "Careful," Gideon growled, shaking his head slowly as if he still had any control over the situation. "I don''t take kindly to insults."


    "Oh, I''m far beyond insults," the woman replied, her voice rising with authority. "I am here to deliver judgment."


    Gideon froze, for the first time since the woman appeared, I could see uncertainty sh in his eyes. "Judgment?" He repeated, the word leaving his lips sounded like mockery. "And who are you to judge me?"


    The woman paid no mind to his attitude and slowly stepped forward as her presence grewrger. I couldn''t believe my own eyes. A faint glow appeared around her and slowly grew stronger, be brighter. I tore my eyes away from her and looked at Gideon, who waspletely frozen, not a sound left him, all bravado gone.


    "Gideon, I am the Moon Goddess. And I havee to put an end to your reign of terror."


    Gideon''sughter was sharp and bitter, one of clear disbelief. "The Moon Goddess? Please. If you were truly the Goddess, you would have stopped me long ago. You''re nothing but a coward, hiding behind your power while I''ve ruled unchallenged."


    The Goddess''s eyes shed with anger, and the ground beneath them shook violently. "Don''t mistake my patience for weakness, Gideon. I have watched you for far too long. I''ve seen you abuse and destroy my daughters, harm innocent unborn lives, and poison everything you touch. No more. Your time hase."


    "What are you going to do?" Gideonughed in her face, although from here, I could see theugh was fake. "Kill me? Go ahead, do it. But keep in mind that I will never beg for mercy. Not from you, not from anyone." The Goddess''s expression turned to stone. "Oh, I assure you will die, Gideon. But death is not your punishment. No, your punishment is far greater than that. I would never give you the easy way out."


    Gideon froze, his arrogance reced by unease. "What are you talking about?"


    The Goddess stepped closer, her presence overwhelming, her voice dripping with power and pure hatred. "Your soul will never find peace. It will be tied to your bloodline, forced to follow it through every generation. Only sons will be born from your line, sons who will inherit your darkness and your curse. You will watch, helpless, as your legacy destroys itself over and over again. You will be the one who will ruin your own bloodline, over and over again." Gideon''s face twisted in anger. "You''re lying! You can''t do that!"


    The Goddess ignored his protests, her words growing sharper with each one. "Your descendants will suffer as you have made others suffer. No man in your line will ever be blessed with a mate, for such filth is unworthy of love. And when a man is finally born who is worthy of forgiveness, the curse will end with the birth of a girl - a girl whose strength and purity will undo everything you have done."


    "You can''t!" Gideon shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. "You can''t curse me like this!"


    "It is done," the Goddess said, her voice steady. "Your bloodline will carry the weight of your sins until it redeems itself. Only then will your soul be freed."


    Gideon''s scream of rage echoed through the graveyard, but the Goddess didn''t flinch. She stood tall, her eyes filled with the strength of someone who had finally delivered justice.


    I stood there, trembling, as the vision began to fade. Thest thing I saw was Gideon falling to his knees, his screams turning into a hollow, guttural wail. And then I was back in the library, gasping for breath, the green-covered book still pulsing faintly in front of me.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!