165 Broken Heart

Kirsch's POV

"Cerberus!"

I realized Willa was gone with Cerberus too late, and only did I catch up to her when Cerberus broke into the safe house.

Here I thought the biggest danger was that Cerberus might mark Willa before she turned age...

I crashed into Cerberus and managed to knock him to the ground merely before his claw could reach Scarlett. Willa would never forgive either of us if he got Scarlett's blood on his hand!

"Granny, let's go!" Willa shouted as she dragged Scarlett toward the door. Desperation gripped me --

I gave Scarlett a command, preventing her from leaving this safe house, and I couldn't lift that command now in my wolf form!

"It's okay. The Alpha is capable to deal with the mad king." Scarlett's eyes locked on Cerberus, and there was pure hatred.

"Mad king?" Willa frowned in confusion before she snapped out of that, "What are you doing here and why aren't you accepting my mindlink? Have you been avoiding me?!"

"I have been looking into the mad king secretly," Scarlett answered calmly, avoiding the crucial question.

Why wasn't she telling Willa I was the one prisoning her here?!

Cerberus got up to his feet and charged at Scarlett again. I jumped up and wrestled with him. His fury toward Scarlett proved my theory--

Taran left because of Scarlett.

"Let's talk after we leave here." Willa dragged Scarlett on her arm, "I don't know what got into Cerberus."

"I'm not leaving. I'm in the middle of my investigation." Scarlett shook her head and backed into the corner of the room.

Willa froze in shock before she turned to me: [Kirsch, can you try to mindlink Cerberus?]

[He won't accept it.] I lied to Willa. It would devastate Willa if Cerberus let it out that Scarlett had been trying to kill him.

Cerberus let out a frantic growl, struggling as his eyes locked on Scarlett with flames burning in there.

"What the hell is going on?!" Willa burst out in frustration as she looked between her granny and Cerberus, "I don't feel like I know any of you anymore! What are you not telling me?!"

Scarlett and I both kept in silence. The only sound in the room was Cerberus's mad roar.

[You have been coming here, haven't you?] Willa locked her eyes on me and I could only dodge her stare as a response.

[Great.] Willa nodded with fury in her eyes as she turned to her granny: "Why have you been lying to me, granny?"

"I want to protect you," Scarlett answered calmly.

"So I have magic." Willa confronted Scarlett.

"Yes, you do." Scarlett answered with a desperate look, "You have magic in your blood only until you turn 18, after that your magic can't be taken, and you will be safe. I kept that away from you just to protect you."

"Okay, I'm fine with that!" Willa waved her hand in frustration, "So why haven't you been talking to me since the new moon?!"

"I was looking into the mad king--"

"How did you know about Cerberus and why are you calling him the mad king?!" Willa shouted, tears brimming her eyes. She was too sensitive and clever to be lied to. I was actually surprised that Scarlett had kept Willa in the dark until now.

"It's a well-known curse. The silver wolf with a mad mind that no single wolf could defeat." Scarlett frowned, failing to hide her hatred toward Cerberus, "He kills, Willa!"

"He is my mate!" Willa shouted, "You know Taran! How could you accuse him of that?!"

"He's a danger even to himself!" Scarlett didn't budge, "Look at him!"

Cerberus roared just in time to prove Scarlett's point. Just great.

"He loves me, granny, and he is my mate. A werewolf has only one mate!" Willa pouted, trying hard to not let her tears fall, "How could you--"

"He's not your mate--" Scarlett cut her off sternly.

"I feel the mate pull toward him!" Willa shouted at her.

"That's not possible! You are not even age--" Scarlett looked a bit shocked, but there was still confidence in her voice.

"I'll show you!" Willa wiped her tears as she turned to us. Cerberus calmed down a bit as she approached. She cupped his head with her hands and pressed her forehead against his in silence.

I could physically feel Cerberus calming down. It was truly magical how Willa could control Cerberus like that.

"Willa--" Scarlett stepped up and Willa opened her eyes--

"Cerberus, come back to me, will you?"

I didn't know if it was her touch or her tears, but magic happened. Cerberus gurgled as an answer before he suddenly shifted. I landed on the floor and shifted as well, watching nervously.

"They all lie, Cerberus." Willa wept with such sorrow that my heart broke into pieces, "I can only trust you. I need you to tell me what is going on."

"She not want me with Willa," Cerberus said word by word with hardship.

"You mean my granny doesn't want you to be with me? Her?" Willa pointed at Scarlett with her eyes locked on Cerberus.

He nodded.

"Did she say why?" Willa asked.

"She say Willa not mine." Cerberus said with a wronged face, frowning.

"Is that why Taran left last time?" Willa asked.

"Taran want kill me!" Cerberus grunted, getting riled up again. He was still mad at Taran.

"I know, but I need you to tell me why he did that. It's really important, Cerberus." Willa cupped his face and stepped up to him, gazing into his eyes.

"She give Taran fire. Taran drink fire." Cerberus said slowly, and Willa's hands dropped in shock.

"Why..." Willa's voice broke. She took a deep breath and started again, "Why did Taran wake you up?"

"Stone hurt Willa. Taran need help." Cerberus answered, adding, "I put Taran to sleep and I got Stone."

Willa closed her eyes with desperation on her face, and my chest ached as if a stone crashed into me. I knew how much she loved Scarlett even though she knew Scarlett lied to her.

"Willa--" Scarlett mumbled, stepping up. It was the first time I heard fear in her voice.

"Why did you do that?" Willa wheeled on Scarlett, glaring at her with flames in her eyes, "How could you try to hurt my mate!"

She wasn't supposed to feel anything special to Cerberus right now, but if she did like she said she did, then the fury of thinking someone trying to hurt her mate would be enough to drive her to kill.

"Willa, I'm only trying to protect you..." Scarlett tried to hug Willa but Willa swung her arm angrily.

"I can understand that you think he's dangerous, but you could have talked to me instead of trying to murder him behind my back!" Willa shouted furiously, "How could you betray me like that?! I trusted you! You are my ONLY family! How am I supposed to feel safe when my own family is trying to hurt me like this?!"

"Willa, I'm sorry, I--"

"I made her do that." I cut off Scarlett before she could say more.

Willa turned to me and whispered under her breath: "What did you just say?"

"I fell in love with you the first time I met you, so I forced Scarlett to help me steal you from Cerberus with Alpha Aura." I lied, and every word was like a knife ripping into my chest.

I could never be with Willa anyways. It was better for her to hate me instead of her granny who was her only family.

"What the hell are you even talking about?" Willa shook her head as more tears fell.

"I prisoned her here with Alpha Aura, that's why she can't leave or accept your mindlink." I continued, desperation gripped my heart.

Willa had a wolf. I had to leave before she turns 18 anyway. She would feel the mate pull toward me if I stayed.

"It's not true!" Scarlett shouted, "The Alpha is lying just to--"

"Stop with all the lying!" Willa burst out in anger and stormed to the door.

"Willa!" I chased after her and she wheeled on me with hatred in her eyes as she threw something at me.

It was the key I gave her.

I built a house for her and Taran on the little hill near the beach, a house exactly like the Alpha house with some small upgrades. It was a pity I couldn't see the smile on her face when she sees that for the first time.

"Keep away from me! Both of you!" Willa shouted in tears, "Cerberus!"

Cerberus shifted and jumped to her side. Willa flipped onto his back and they dashed into the woods.

I didn't chase her.

Cerberus would keep her safe.

"Why did you do that?!" Scarlett shouted at me, "I don't need you to help me--"

"I'm not helping you! I would love to kill you if it wasn't for the fact that Willa still cares about you!" I burst out at Scarlett, "I don't know how you made me feel the mate pull toward Willa, but she's NOT my mate! I won't be with her like how you planned all along!"

"You trying to sabotage this is only hurting Willa--"

"It's YOUR lies that are hurting Willa! She loves Cerberus, and Cerberus loves her!" I cut her off, "And even if they aren't real mates, you still have no right to decide other's life like this! You have no right to sentence Cerberus to death!"

Scarlett fell in silence, for the first time, I saw tiredness and desperation in her eyes.

"You are no longer bonded by my commands. Stay in the pack and stay safe," I said coldly in Alpha Aura, "For Willa."

I shifted before Scarlett could answer.

"Alpha!" Scarlett shouted. I stopped reluctantly, not turning back as I waited.

"I'm sorry I have hurt you, all three of you." Scarlett said slowly, "I only wanted to protect Willa. I'll tell you everything."

[Author's note:]

Okay, guys. I know you tried your best, and pretty sure not having enough fans following the book is not your fault, so...

Five free chapters today, enjoy! :)