Chapter 21 - Troy
Elize had tears break free, and I pulled her toward me. I would never know what she full saw, but I could tell whatever it was, it was killing her. I looked at Martin, who seemed to hold no regret on his face.
Janella shook her head. “You did all of this because she was a witch? Pulled a couple apart because she possibly possessed magic?”
“She had magic,” Laura spoke up. “She had powerful magic. She had been using it since she was six. She could do spells that even the elders couldn’t. She was talented and…”
“You were scared,” Janella finished her sentence, looking between them all with disgust. I could see anger on her face as she shook her head. “And you thought making her disappear was the answer?”
“It’s what we did. We didn’t want witches in the pack. We were doing what was best for the pack. We were keeping everyone safe. Everyone knew they were dangerous.”
“Are you kidding me?” Riley snapped, looking ready to hit something. “How many have you done this to?”
They didn’t answer that, and it made my own stomach drop. Knowing that Elize and I weren’t the only couple that was ripped apart was just sickening. It could be anyone they kicked out, and we had no idea who was on that list. And this Cauldron, it wasn’t just random.
“Why wouldn’t you tell us about this? Why would you continue this for so long?” Dustin asked, shaking his head. “This could have been avoided. None of this could be happening if you had opened your fricken eyes!”
“We were trying to protect the pack. We were all raised that witches weren’t to be trusted. We did what we were raised to do.”
“Witches aren’t evil! You have continued to do this for years. We have learned so much about magic, and yet you haven’t changed your views. This should have been corrected. We… we could have done things differently.” Riley added.
The council remained silent, and I stared at Martin. I ground my teeth together. “Maybe, it’s time for a new council.”
This caught their attention. Council members had considerable power, but Alphas could remove them if they saw fit. It was how we kept things in balance. They might have had the final say, but if they didn’t guide the packs properly, the Alphas could replace them.
Martin shook his head. “We are trying to change. We are opening our minds to everything. Why do you think we allowed Janella here? Why we called Elize back?”
Elize ripped herself out of my hands before I could blink.
She stormed over to her uncle and shoved at his chest. Martin took a step back as she screamed in his face.
“You are the reason we broke up! Don’t you dare say you called me back here!
You made the damage that had to be fixed!
Don’t you dare say you’re opening your mind because you haven’t!
You are just trying to protect the council’s image!
You don’t give two shits about the pack or the members in it! ”
“That’s not true!” Martin yelled back.
“It is! It’s true because if you did, I wouldn’t have lost all this time with Troy! I saw you as family, and you ruined my relationship because I was a witch!”
It was like invisible hands were grabbing at me, and a sudden anger hit me. I don’t know what came over me, but I didn’t have control over it. I curled my hands into tight fists as I stared at Martin. He tried to reach for Elize, but she shoved at him again.
“I hate you! And I hope you burn in hell for what you’ve done! You’re a monster, and I can’t believe I believe you! I can’t believe I ever trusted you!”
Elize started to sob, and Janella moved closer, pulling her into her arms. I watched as Janella snarled at them as she tugged Elize away. The room felt hot, and I felt my hands starting to shake with rage.
He ruined this. They all ruined this, and they need to pay.
He needed to pay for what he’d done. All the damage he’d created. He didn’t even care that he’d hurt Elize. She was just another pawn in his game.
I was suddenly moving forward and grabbed Martin by the collar of his shirt.
I shoved him into the ground. Martin’s eyes widened in shock as I tightened my grip on his collar.
My mind was zoned in on one thing only. I wanted Martin to hurt as badly as Elize was hurting right now. I wanted him to pay.
She had lost so much. We lost so much, and he couldn’t even give a shit about it for one moment. This was a time that we would never get back. He ruined everything because he could.
Make him pay. Make him see just how dangerous a shifter can be.
I pulled my hand up and punched him. But it didn’t satisfy me. I wanted to see blood. I wanted to hear him beg for mercy. I hit him again and again. I growled, feeling my control starting to turn. Even if I wanted to stop, I wouldn’t. I was no longer in control.
You don’t want to stop. You want him to pay, Troy. He is a snake that needs to be removed. He, just like the rest of the council, has done things. They all need to pay.
I knew this was wrong. Sure, I wanted to hurt Martin. I would kill the man if it would take Elize’s pain away, but it wouldn’t. She wouldn’t ever want me to behave like this.
I pulled my hand back, knowing this wasn’t me. I wanted to stop because I’d made my point. He had blood coming down his nose and a bruise covering his left side.
“Troy!” I could hear Elize screaming at me now. She was grabbing at my arm, but I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted more.
“Someone stop him,” she screamed.
I was yanked back, and Elize stepped in front of me. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at me. “Troy, you have to calm down.”
I couldn’t look at her. My eyes looked at Martin, and I pulled at whoever had grabbed me. I needed to be free. I needed to hurt Martin.
Elize reached for my face. “Troy! Look at me! Troy!” Her voice hit a new high, and as her eyes looked at me, she was completely fearful. “Please, come back. You have to get control of yourself.”
I pulled, trying to free myself, when Janella spoke up. “Elize, we need to lock him up. It’s not working.”
I was shoved hard into the ground, and I felt pressure holding me down. My body was fighting against it, and I was trying to tell myself to calm down, but I couldn’t.
I could hear Elize starting to cry, and I just wanted to hold her. I didn’t mean to react like this. I wanted her to know that. This wasn’t me.
This is you, Troy. This is you with no regret. This is you taking what you want.
No, I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to lose control like this.
“Janella, can you calm him?” I could hear Riley starting to sound panicked now. “Please. Tell me you can calm him.”
“What’s happened?” Titus asked.
“I think the cauldron has attached to Troy,” Janella said.
“Like it had with me. But Troy has never used magic, so he doesn’t know how to fight against it.
” Janella reached her hand out, placing it on my head.
I shoved harder, feeling like someone was trying to touch me with fire. She quickly yanked her hand back.
“I can’t. It’s not doing anything.”
“We need to lock him up,” A new voice spoke up. I pulled my head and spotted Ivan. He stood in the doorway now. “He would want that. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He told me to make sure that’s what happened if he ever lost control.”
They looked at Elize, who had tears streaming down her face. She looked at me like she was breaking inside. “Elize.”
She swallowed and nodded. “That’s not my Troy.”
I was twisted up. I was happy she knew that this wasn’t me, but I was still here. I was screaming for her to realize that I was here.
I was shoved hard, and I could feel more hands on me. “We need to get him under control.”
“Janella, put him to sleep.”
I stared at Elize. She was standing frozen with the leather book in her hands now. She looked like a statue staring at me with wide eyes. I wanted to tell her how I felt. I wanted to tell her that I loved her and that she meant the world to me.
But the world went dark.
I could hear the voices continue. They yelled that I was fighting something that was meant to happen. If I were to just give in, I would feel free again.
I thought of Elize.
When I woke, I was staring at a white wall. I rolled over and found I was stuck. I turned my head, finding a door, and Ivan stood in front of it. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept in a couple of days.
“She’s safe,” he stated.
I tried to move toward him, but found I couldn’t. I looked down and saw the chains that were keeping me to the ground.
“She’s safe,” Ivan repeated, and I snapped my head at him. His eyes narrowed at me. “I know you’re in there. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t care.”
I pulled at the chains, and they bit into my skin. I thrashed against them, but they never gave in.
Ivan pulled himself up. “Fight it, Troy. Fight it for her.”