Chapter 53
“The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.” ― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
Rose's POV
Inside the room, I had nearly shouted myself hoarse and did my best to break the door open.
It didn't work. The windows were sealed too tightly for me to escape, and the French windows were covered by an elaborate white wrought iron grill.
I sank down, back sliding against the wall, feeling utterly defeated.
At a loss for what to do, I tried mind-linking Aiden again and again. Nothing.
Finally, I mind-linked Dylan.
“We're on our way,” Dylan informed me.
“NO! Please, you have to stop him! He needs to wait and get his strength back!” I begged, trying to stop them.
“I’m sorry, but have you seen Aiden when his luna is threatened? He might just tear off my head for trying to reason with him. Are you OK? Alistair hasn't hurt you has he?”
“I’m fine...but Dylan you need to stop Aid–”
But Dylan linked out, blocking away the rest of my futile attempts.
The door banged open as Alistair entered, his lip curled into a cruel smirk when his eyes landed on me sitting on the floor in a corner.
"All you women are useless,” Alistair laughed. "You make your men weak," he sneered.
Two warriors entered behind Alistair. The old alpha jerked his head in my direction. Both men went to me, each grabbing an arm and hauling me up. My resolve hardened.
I am Luna of Bloodfire Phoenix Pack! And I wouldn't be caught off-guard again and freeze up like during the firework explosion. I could fight!
I'd partaken in self-defense classes after shifting my first time.
Pulling from what Layla taught me, I neatly ducked under the men trying to keep a hold on my arms.Their feeble hold slipped.
I elbowed the man on the right in the stomach, neatly twisting out from between them and delivering an effective kick behind the knees of the other man. Both were on the floor in minutes.
"Oh for pete's sake! She's a young girl!" Alistair yelled exasperatedly. "Stop being gentle with her, you morons!"
Alistair stomped over, kicking his men, with his big black boots, who were still trying to get their bearings.
I shot an arm out to punch him, but Alistair caught my first in his hand and twisted.
There was a sickening crunch and I screamed.
He'd broken my wrist. It would heal. Broken joints and bones were normal for wolves since it was a process of turning.
But it hurt! And it was enough for Alistair's henchmen to firmly overpower me and this time, they didn't underestimate me .
I was unceremoniously dragged across the pack land to where the pack temple was situated.
At least they hadn't tried to get me to turn.
I couldn't turn anymore, and Alistair couldn't find out I was pregnant. If he wanted to rule our pack, he wouldn’t think twice about harming the heir.
When we finally reached the temple, Lexia was there holding a pair of silver bracelets.
"Give them here, girl!" snarled Alistair, grabbing the bracelets from Lexia.
They found their way around my wrists soon enough. I cried out in pain. The cuffs were pure silver drenched in wolfsbane. I definitely wouldn't be able to turn now even if I could.
"Dad, whatever you're planning, it's not going to work. Aiden isn't going to leave her for me,” Lexia stated firmly. Her eyes landed on me apologetically. "And I wouldn't want him to be in a relationship with me that he was forced into. I want him to choose!' Lexia pleaded.
"This isn't about you!" Alistair yelled at his only daughter.
Lexia took a step back in fear and I noticed it instantly. What kind of father was Alister,yelling at his only daughter like this?
“Dad, what's wrong?You’ve never yelled at me like this before. You used to show your disdain towards me that I am not a son.But today there is something different in you, like you don't love me anymore and I am useless for you.”
Alistair inhaled deeply and looked at his daughter, looking a tad penitent for the first time. I was closely watching his expressions while trying to forget my own pain. "You should have left to go back to law school when I told you, Lexia. I didn't want you to have to see this."
"See what?" Aiden's dangerously low voice spoke as he stepped into the temple clearing. "See that you're a sorry piece of shit who's been trying to kidnap my luna since the day she was born?"
I screamed his name, trying to struggle against the two men that held me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I shook my head. He shouldn't have come!
Aiden cast a glance my way, warning me to stay back before focusing on Alistair again.
"You finally figured it out.” Alistair grinned maliciously.
"It didn't hit me until you issued the challenge,” Aiden admitted, hands in the pockets of his black cargo pants.
Despite the early January chill, he wore a flimsy t-shirt considering he'd need to shift soon.
"We pieced it together on our way here,” Dylan snarled, hands fisted by his sides and cast a harsh gaze to Lexia and I didn't understand why he did so.
"I didn't know. You guys have to believe me. I didn't know any of this,” Lexia choked out in a whisper.
"You think anyone's going to believe a word you say?" spat Aiden, leveling his glare on Lexia. "You've been scheming with Jake for goddess knows how long, trying to get him to challenge me. Was that the plan? If Jake doesn't overthrow me, then your father will do it?"
Alistair gave out a bark of laughter that didn't reach his cruel eyes.
"You've got it all wrong. This was never so Lexia could be Luna. This” —he bared his teeth— “was all so I could merge the two lands under the banner of my pack!
How was I supposed to know back when Lexia was a toddler that she would be my only child?
" Alistair cast a withering glance towards his daughter and his glance was telling everyone that as if Lexia'sgender was entirely her fault. Then he looked back at Aiden.
“I knew that the alpha only held power if Rose was the luna. My wife was a member of your pack. She told me everything, albeit she didn’t know what I'd use this information for. So I planned, I plotted. I had hoped to have a son one day. A son this luna” —Alistair gestured towards me— “would mate with and he could claim the land, merging our two territories together.” Alistair spoke almost nostalgically of his nefarious plans.
“But it wasn’t to be. My wife was weak, and we could only have one child. ”
Alistair motioned to his daughter bitterly, who looked as if she was seeing her father for the first time.
Lexia’s face was full of shock and disbelief.
“Then…then she began dating Aiden. I encouraged the relationship. See, maybe I would get both lands through my daughter. After all, what better way to secure it all for my child and future descendants than to let her marry the alpha. Austin…he wasn’t completely sure, but he had a feeling something was up.
He was on to me. I knew Aiden and Lexia had taken their relationship to the next level.
It was fine by me. It meant Lexia’s scent wouldn’t be out of the ordinary aroundAustin’s car.
I turned into my wolf and used her scent to sneak onto your territory and cut the wires to Austin’s brakes in the middle of the night.
He never saw it coming.” Alistair laughed over his deviousness.
Dylan let out a strangled sound, aghast that this man before them was responsible for his father's death.
Alistair continued to speak. I looked toward Aiden and found him in deathly silence.
I noticed a terrible energy emanating in waves off his body and I knew it was because he was the son who desperately wanted to avenge his father.
“It even brought Aiden and Lexia closer because she was a source of comfort for Aiden after his father’s demise.
Then you showed up!" Alistair looked accusingly at me and sighed.
"I thought to myself 'no matter, Lexia and Aiden are still going strong.
' Then Lexia came home from her time abroad ranting about how her boyfriend had called you his mate. I knew that now I had to figure out a new plan. Either I had to get rid of you so Lexia could be with Aiden, or I had to get rid of Aiden and take over his pack! One way or another, I was going to get those lands!” Alistair declared.
“Did you…Dad, did you have anything to do with Mom’s death?” gasped Lexia.
The blonde girl was shaking from anger and in that moment I realized then that Lexia definitely had nothing to do with her father’s plot. She’d been a pawn in it just like the rest of them.
“No. How could you even think I would harm the mother of my child?” Alistair said sharply. “It was just pure dumb luck that she died recently!”
“Mom dying is not dumb luck!” Lexia yelled angrily, tears welling up in her eyes. I suddenly felt pity for Lexia being raised by such a callous man who couldn't even respect his dead mate.
“It is when you decide you need a young she-wolf to bear your sons,” Alistair flung back and looked at me lewdly.
I felt the pit of my stomach twist in disgust and revulsion.
Oh no…