by Riley Cross
Scanning my eyes over her. How is she still even standing with this much damage? Tugging my t-shirt off, I tug it over her head, covering her body from the eyes of the greedy Alpha.
“Dominic?” That quiver in her voice, has the healing spell stuck on the end of my tongue. She’s going to hate me.
“Tell her, Ripper. Tell her why you really came back to Stonehart.” Greyson mocks, the wounds on his body slowly knitting themselves back together. Stemming the flow of blood.
“I didn’t know it was you.” I admit, running my thumb over her cheek. Doubt fills her eyes as her anguish takes over our bond, breaking my heart.
“Baby- “
“Don’t.” She warns, shaking her head.
“Please.” Reaching for her, my world crumbles a little more when she takes a retreating step back.
A step closer to Greyson. Whose face looks like the cat who got the cream.
“You were just going to hand me over to him?”
“No, no baby.”
“Yes. You were worth a pretty penny. But it was worth it.” Greyson nods, smiling, his eyes shining with each step she takes closer to him.
“How could you? After everything we’ve done, how could you do this!” Another step.
“Fuck. Kitten, please I can explain Okay? Just come back to me.” I beg, trying to ignore the torment echoing in our bond.
Another step. One that puts her right in front of the enemy. Greyson’s meaty paw lands on her shoulder, instantly, holding her to him.
“Well, I’m just glad the truth has finally come out.”
The sight of his skin touching hers has my magic consuming me. Covering me like a second skin, awaiting my order.
“The truth.” Her words are just above a whisper.
Greyson’s fingers flex.
“Yes.”
“Baby...” My voice breaks.
“The truth… is that you killed my friends.” The vulnerable quiver in her voice, evens out, hardens. Without taking her red stained eyes from me, her hand lashes out above her. Claws sinking deep into Greyson’s throat. His eyes bulge in their sockets as his shock registers. As the she-wolf in his arms tears his throat out, like it was nothing.
Blood sprays over my mate, making her look like a fallen angel.
As the life in his eyes winks out, Greyson’s hand falls from her shoulders. The rest of his body hitting the floor.
Relief floods my system. She’s safe. She’s alive. Advancing, I stop mid step when my beautiful mate steps away from me. Her head shaking frantically from left to right. “Kitten?” Another step. And another.
The bond twists angrily under my ribs, turning my body cold.
“Baby.” Have I really lost you now?
Her eyes harden at the sound of the pet name. Without another word, she turns and walks away. Taking the light in my world with her.
CHAPTER Twenty
The devil made me do it
“Rachael! Rachael! Can you just stop a minute, and let me explain?” Dominic’s pleas do nothing to stop my forward momentum. What could he possibly say to make any of this okay?
Even with the pain pulsing through my body, somehow, I still find the strength to keep walking.
“Explain? Explain what!? I think it's pretty fucking clear, don’t you?” I spit the words venomously over my shoulder, unable to even look him in the face.
God, I can still hear the mocking tone in Greyson’s voice.
“You used me. You set me up. You were working with him!” I let the pain from my injuries fuel my anger, using it to help push me further away.
No matter how much distance I seem to be able to put between us. It doesn’t take Dominic long to eat it up. Trying to insert himself back into my personal space.
“Kitten, for fucks sake. It's not what it sounds like, please just let me check your wounds. Then I’ll answer any questions you have, I’ll explain everything.”
My skin burns where he grips my shoulders, trying to stay my escape. Keep me captive. How long did I let him manipulate me for? It almost feels like a lifetime. My wolf lets out a low mournful howl, nursing the sting left by the betrayal of her mate.
I’m so sorry. My apologies go unnoticed by my animal. The knife cuts deeper as she turns her back on me.
“Go fuck yourself, Dominic. We are done with you and your bullshit.” Yanking myself free of the male, I shove past him, putting some much-needed distance between us.
“Kitten, please.” His voice breaks, adding more cracks to my already fractured heart.
“Just stay away from me.” It comes out sounding more like a plea, then a demand. But I feel raw after being put through the emotional ringer.
“I understand that your pissed at me, but you know better than I, that we cannot stay apart.” Yes. I do. The stupid mating bond. But even then, surely nothing can out weight the pain of knowing your so-called mate was going to trade you off to the hands of a madman.
Holding tightly to my angry, I turn on him.
“Mating with you was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I'd rather suffer through the breaking of the bond, then spend any more time in your presence. Go back to Europe. Crawl back into whatever hole Greyson dragged you out from.” Straightening my shoulders, I keep my head held high as I walk away.
Climbing into the driver’s seat of my truck. Turning the key that had been left in the ignition.
I thank the Goddess when my truck roars to life.
Dominic stands stunned, hurt and anguish twisting his face.
Without giving my mate one last look, I take off with tears rapidly filling my eyes.
Once I’m on the open road and I’ve put miles between me and the Bloodmaw’s territory. I pull onto a hard shoulder.
Unable to hold myself together, I scream loud and long. The tears never seem to end, even as I strike at the wheel. My body aches and burns where my shifter healing is knitting my wounds back together. But nothing seems to help the feeling of dying, taking hold of my chest.
So many memories flash before my eyes. Me, my brothers and Dominic all playing as children. When I first saw him in a romantic way. My first kiss. My parent’s death and wondering where he had gone. The years after that night, never hearing a word from him. Only learning of his new life through Becca. Seeing him for the first time as a grown man. Letting him love me. Our bonding.
All these useless bloody memories! The pain they bring, that never seems to end. I just want them to stop!
“JUST STOP!” I shout, slamming my palms against the steering wheel over and over. My grief dragging me under. The feel of my mate in our bond drowning me.
No amount of screaming helps. No number of tears lessen the pain. It’s hopeless.
Overwhelmed by the assault, I throw myself from the front seat. Shifting. Hitting the ground on all fours, we take off. I plead with my animal to take us far, far away. To run. And to never stop running.
My wolf lets out a long-broken howl as she darts into the trees surrounding the main road.
I’m so sorry. I cry. How could I have allowed this to happen? I let myself fall so far, let Dominic become a crucial part of me. Mating bonds were supposed to be a blessing. This great gift, meant to be cherished. I hate it. Some gift. It’s crushing weight is nothing but a curse. A reminder of how badly I failed.
As I retreat further into my animal, I lose sight of our surroundings. I lose track of time. Not even caring if we turn feral. My wolf takes the reins, taking us deeper and deeper into the darkness and away from the rest of the world.
*
Unable to tell how much time has gone, I sit silently as my wolf hunts our dinner. Nothing seems to cheer me up. Not the hunt, the run, or the tangy taste of our preys’ blood in my mouth.
My animal has been suspiciously quiet. She didn’t once question my urge to escape. Or try to defend our mates actions to me.
The first night she found us a small cave at the base of the mountains. Gathering various sticks and bushes in her ja
ws to make a makeshift den to shield us from the rain. Thankfully, our thick fur kept the chill at bay. It took a solid day for all of our injures to heal fully from Greyson’s attacks. During that time, we stayed in our cave, resting.
Afterwards my she-wolf took charge. In the mornings she would prowl outside, scratching and rubbing up against tree trunks, marking her territory. During the day she would run and entertain herself by playing with small critters like rabbits and squirrels.
When we needed food, she hunted. Choosing mostly deer and stags. This became our new routine. I let my animal control everything around us, while I stayed back, licking my wounds.
One afternoon, my wolf stops suddenly, mid-chase.
What are you doing? I question her, for the first time since we left Bloodmaw’s territory.
Pack. I feel the pang of sadness in her voice. She misses them.
They are better off without us. How are we supposed to lead them when we can’t even protect ourselves?
He would not have betrayed us. He is our mate.
Whose side are you on? We were nothing to him. We meant nothing to our so-called mate! Stop pinning for him it is pathetic. I bark, lashing out. Unable to hold back the hurt at the mention of Dominic.
Lowing her head, my she-wolf silently walks us back towards our den. Guilt churns my stomach.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.
Nothing.
Turning her ears down, my animal ignores me.
The next morning, we don’t leave the cave. Choosing to sleep instead.
It’s only in her unconscious state, that I truly understand how badly the separation from our pack and mate is affecting her.
She is a social animal.
Wolves thrive better in packs.
And I’ve made her leave it all behind because I was hurt and upset.
I stopped paying attention to her needs, selfishly only thinking of myself.
Her moods only dip lower over the course of the next week. She stops playing with the animals. And chooses to only run and hunt when we need food. The rest of the time, she stays in our den, sleeping.
You can’t stay like this forever.
Her only response is a rumbling growl.
Stubborn bloody wolf! I snap, annoyed at her lack of response. And pissed at myself for not noticing her pain sooner.
CHAPTER Twenty-One
Can monsters have happy endings?
The enforcers were the first to find us, weeks after the battle with Greyson’s pack. Kye and Cam lead my fractured wolf back towards the house. She only makes it to the porch, stopping dead in her tracks at the first scent of Dominic. His spicy scent burns us, like a hit of heroin.
When the male in question comes out the front, my wolf shocks everyone. Pulling her lips back over her huge canines, she snarls at her mates approach. The animal’s warnings go unnoticed by Dominic, who continues to advance on us. Uncaring about his own safety.
The strain on our mating bond has had both me and my animal on edge since we last saw our him.
Eyeing the male curiously, it looks like Dominic has fared no better than us. Good.
Dark circles are tattooed under his eyes, his usual five o’clock shadow is now more like a rugged beard. It looks like he’s spent the past few weeks pulling at his hair, leaving it standing on end.
“Kitten.” My nickname falls from his lips like a prayer.
I expected my she-wolf to try and take a bite out of him when he falls to his knees in front of us. Instead, she tucks her legs under her, lowering herself onto her belly. A pitiful whine sounds around us, and I realise it’s my animal.
Dominic takes this as his sign and drapes himself over the animal, running his fingers through her long-matted fur. Whispering apologies and promises. Emotions choke my throat as a wave of relief at finally being in his arms washes through me. Feeling the same way, my she-wolf licks at his face and neck. Rubbing herself in his scent.
“I’ve been so worried about you, Kitten.” Dominic whispers in a broken voice. My wolf chuffs at him, seconding his words. The bond falls into a fragile hum as we soak in each other’s presence. Being away from him had sucked a lot more than I thought it would, but even the pain of our bond straining under the pressure of his absence didn’t help lessen the burn of his betrayal.
How are we supposed to get past this?
Will it even be possible for me to forgive him?
Yes. My wolf urges.
She had suffered at being away from her mate, not understanding her human sides stubbornness. While the animal was initially hurt by what Greyson had revealed, she believed in her mate. That he would protect us rather than deliver us to harm. He had made a mistake. And has been punished for it. Surely that is enough?
“Rae, I got some clothes for you, why don’t you go to the garage and change? I’ll plate you up some dinner.” Cam suggests, cocking his head in the direction of the garage.
Not yet ready to leave her mate, the wolf doesn’t move. Instead, she tries to nuzzle deeper into Dominic’s scent.
“Come on, love.” Dominic encourages, keeping his hands on the animal. Showing that he too is unwilling to leave her side so soon.
Once we are both inside, I accept the reins from my animal. The shift is sluggish and more painful than normal, most likely due to being in wolf form for so long.
Dominic stays by my side the whole time, giving me encouragement.
After twenty minutes of pure agony, I’m back standing on two legs instead of four.
Watching me on my unsteady legs, Dominic wraps a blanket around me and pulls us down to the floor. Settling me onto his lap.
I can’t help the shivers racking my body. The energy used to become human again leaves me as weak as a babe.
I lean into Dominic’s heat, letting it warm my body and fight off the chill.
We sit in silence for a long moment. Neither of us brave enough to speak.
My eyes roll to the back of my head when his fingers sink into my hair, massaging me. Helping purge the tension from me.
“Tell me what to do.” Dominic says in a calm voice. I feel his nerves jittering in our bond. Feeling like we are balancing on a knifes edge.
“Tell me how I can get back into your good graces. I can’t bare this space between us, Kitten.”
I keep my voice low and calm. Careful not to break this peace we have found after days of self-inflicted torture.
“I want to.” It was true. I want to forgive him and have all of this be in the past. But. “I-I don’t know how,” I admit, my voice breaking.
His arms tighten around me, pressing me closer to his chest. Dominic kisses the top of my head.
“Shh… shh… It’s okay. I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make this up to you for the rest of our lives. I’ll earn your forgiveness and trust Rachael.”
We say nothing else; we simply sit in the silence, basking in each other’s embrace.
Worried that my brother might run out of patience and come looking for us, I pull away from my mate and get dressed.
Standing side by side, we make our way back towards the house. Taking a deep breath, I push the front door open. Unlike before, the entire bottom half of the house is empty. My brother’s obvious attempt to give me and my mate some much needed privacy to reconnect.
Strangely, there are a bunch of lilies laying on the dining room table.
But there are only ever lilies in the house for…
“Do you know what the date is?” Dominic murmurs.
I glare at the flowers as if the fresh scent has offended me. Memories from an earlier time surface and haunt me behind my eyes.
Shaking my head in an attempt to dislodge the quickly forming images. No, no!
It can't be, it's too soon.
I feel Dominic’s fingers flirt with my own, taking my hand in his. He keeps his voice an intimate whisper.
“It's okay, baby, I may have abandoned you before. But I'm here for you now. Today’s
your parents’ anniversary and the day that turned into a very, very long six years. For that I apologise. I may not have been standing by your side on that day, but today I'll stand by your side and I'll stay by your side for the rest of my days.”
His words, as sweet as they sound, do nothing to tame the vortex assaulting my mind. I keep waiting for my phone to ring. For that harsh sound to penetrate the air and break the fragile peace that I have found.
I keep waiting for Dorian to tell me the news. To tell me that my mother and father won't be coming home. That I’m unable to take vengeance for them and my pack. Instead, I’m needed to take my new role as Alpha and protect the others while my brothers deal with the killer without me.
“Racheal?” Dominic’s use of my full name shocks me from the past. Will I ever get used to him using my given name? Probably not, I’ll always be his Kitten.
I'm standing in my kitchen dining room, hovering over the lilies. My phone is silent. That night is back in the past, locked up tight in the darkest corner of my mind.
I won't be receiving the same call.