Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
Iwould never have this piece of my identity back and be a whole person. My heart ached, so many strong emotions swirling in my chest that I couldn’t contain them.
If Torin couldn’t kill Cordelia in the kingdom, how could I? I was at square one, feeling as human as I was, although I was a witch who didn’t know any spells, and a werewolf who lacked a wolf spirit.
“I only did my job. I can’t give you your wolf spirit back unless you kill me, child. Would you be able to do so?” Cordelia asked with a knowing smile. “But you get to keep the bracelet as I promised.”
There was no remorse or regret behind her brown eyes.
Exhaustion settled in my bones. There was only so much betrayal and hurt that a girl could take in one day.
She knew I wouldn’t pounce on her at this moment, still too shocked by the secrets. The truth was, I didn’t feel strong enough. Especially after discovering the dark secret Torin kept from me.
Now everything made much more sense—why I couldn’t find my way home and where I belonged. There would always be something missing.
Cordelia waved her hands, and her demonic creatures obediently trotted to her sides. Torin and Hayden glanced at me as if asking for permission to still pursue the witch and creatures, but I gave them a slight shake of my head.
“I will be seeing you, my child,” Cordelia said.
She turned and treaded to the tall, electric fence, muttering something under her breath. I thought I heard her say, “Humans and their stupid alarms.”
Her hand shot out and touched the gate. I expected her body to start convulsing with electrical shocks, but nothing happened. No sparks and no alarm blaring. Then she pushed the fence with her hand, and with the help of a gust of wind, she knocked it down.
The dark witch strolled away, followed by her herd of dogs, toward the massive Hollywood sign in the distance.
Where would she hide her pets? Supernaturals easily blended among humans, but Cordelia’s pets didn’t look exactly like domesticated animals with their fiery eyes, spiky tails, and sharp teeth.
I wondered if she was initially heading to the spot where Torin, Hayden, and I were headed.
Curiosity prickled at the skin of my neck, and it felt like an itch that I couldn’t soothe.
But there was no way I was going to find out the location of the dot on the magic map now after all the revelations.
A headache formed behind my eyes and throbbed at my temples. Would I be able to overcome this too?
Torin stepped toward me, but I raised my hand to stop him. While I was trying to process his betrayal, my heart also ached for him, for his trauma and his pain. I was turning into a messy ball of conflicting emotions.
Because Torin killed my uncle, Layla thought it was my fault and bullied me my whole life.
“That’s why you couldn’t mark me,” I snapped.
He nodded. Torin couldn’t live with himself if he marked me and made me his while keeping this devastating secret from me. That was why he never committed fully to me, leaving our mating incomplete. Without the marking, our fated bond wouldn’t be complete.
The sweet, tender, and passionate memories I had with Torin were now tainted, marred by a sense of betrayal.
A surge of anger rose within me, fueled by my unwavering sense of justice. My fated mate was the embodiment of pain and loss. Inside my soul, a battle started raging, and my emotions made me nauseated.
I was torn between my love for Torin and my duty to seek retribution for my uncle’s life. I shook my head, but my mind and heart were caught in a relentless tug-of-war.
How could I have fallen for someone capable of such a cruel act? But he didn’t do it of his own will. This devastating truth tormented my soul.
“He was like a father to me,” I shouted at Torin.
I lowered my gaze and stared at my boots.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to get over this. Uncle Derek was my family,” I whispered.
But Torin was supposed to be my family too. My fated mate.
I was surer than ever that Hayden was my chosen mate. I glanced at my bodyguard, and more emotions stirred up. For the first time, Hayden didn’t smile or wink at me. He averted his gaze and took a deep breath.
As Torin spoke, my focus shifted to him instead.
“I wanted to turn myself in to the King on so many occasions, Anna, but when I visited the kingdom, I would see you, and my resolve dissolved. I wanted to stay alive to watch you grow and be happy. Even if it was without me. Because I didn’t deserve you,” Torin said.
If my father found out about what Torin had done, he would execute him immediately. What should I do now?
Torin stood away from me. His shoulders slumped, and his face filled with guilt and regret. My vision blurred as tears streamed down my cheeks.
While I tried to make sense of what I’d seen of Torin’s memories, stabbing pain pierced my heart like a sharp arrow, and my legs trembled like leaves in stormy rain. I couldn’t make myself go to Torin. At least not now. Maybe with time, I would learn how to forgive him. But maybe not.
The urge to run away and disappear overtook me. It’d be so easy to forget that he ever existed. I recognized my coping mechanism of running away kicking into gear, but I planted my feet wide. I would face Torin.
I felt the invisible pull of the mate bond. My heart had always known that I would choose Torin as my mate. But now there was no way we could have a future as a mated couple. And it wasn’t some obstacle that stood in our way.
It was my soul and my unforgiving nature. I would never be truly free to love Torin until I had forgiven him. The burden pressed against my shoulders and chest.
“I am sorry, Anna. I love you. But I can’t live with the guilt and regret of what I did to your family,” Torin said, and his voice shook.
His words almost begged for forgiveness. But he knew I wasn’t ready for that. Not when he had kept such an important secret from me.
Anger filled my heart, but there was something else there—a feeling of pity, almost compassion for the man who’d killed someone close to me without wanting to do so.
Images of Torin’s memories of the moments he was turned, his trauma and abuse, surfaced in my mind.
Torin protected his secrets away from me, embarrassed and guilt stricken.
And now he would never trust me again after violating his wish not to invade his memories.
I’d also done him wrong, and my heartache intensified.
Then an image of Uncle Derek’s dead body with a torn throat returned to my mind with vengeance, threatening to drown out any glimmer of forgiveness. I remembered my family’s grief—my dad’s devastation and Layla’s madness.
Was I strong enough to overcome this?
I couldn’t reconcile with Torin at the moment. Justice, forgiveness, and vengeance clashed inside me, making my chest painful to breathe.
“I’m not worthy of your forgiveness, Anna. But I will face your father now and take on his punishment,” Torin said.
The King’s punishment would be death. My father had lost his brother and wondered for so many years how he died. My dad never got closure, and the revelation that one of his men did it would be a shock to him.
Although I couldn’t resolve the torturous emotions inside of me, at least I knew I wouldn’t wish Torin to die. I would beg Dad not to kill Torin. But he would never allow me to meet the murderer of his brother again.
I opened my mouth to tell Torin that when a rustling came from behind me, and I twirled around.
“You will not meet the werewolf King’s punishment because you’re coming with me, Alpha,” a familiar female voice said.
The skin on my neck erupted in small, raised bumps. The sound of my own breathing filled my ears—a rapid and unsteady rhythm.
Victoria’s smooth, pale face had a taunting smile I didn’t like. The vampire Queen’s voice sounded seductive but also downright deadly.
As she closed the distance, she brought the coppery tang of blood with her. My mouth filled with the metallic taste, and I gagged. The vampire Queen stood tall and proud, too close for comfort, and she wasn’t alone.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I planted my feet wide and hugged myself, ready to face the woman who’d changed everything, including my life and destiny. I braced myself for the inevitable confrontation, steeling my nerves and summoning all my courage to face the woman who had shattered so many lives.
I remembered seeing her in Torin’s memory, but she was even more formidable in person. The cruel Queen, wearing her spiky crown and silver sword around her waist, stomped closer, and the air surrounding her thickened with tension.
She was beautiful in an ageless way, like a cold marble statue with flawless features. Her flat leather boots showed she was an experienced fighter. No woman would spend a fortune on fancy heels and ruin them in a fight.
And she was here for a fight.