Chapter Five

Adora

Thor's eyes darkened in anger. "Conan, stay the hell out of this.”

"No," Conan sneered, reaching for me. Thor sprang into action, grabbing Conan's shirt and pushing him out through the door.

Just then, a loud bomb-like bang echoed.

Our dads were here!

Pure relief surged within me and I flew out of the room. The rogues coked their guns while some held very sharp-looking cutlasses and axes.

"Adora! Over here!" Morgana cried, grabbing my hand.

My heart raced as the rogues clashed, and before the girls got to the clearing, everywhere was chaotic with broken bottles and the coppery taste of blood.

I joined the girls, screaming for help. My side vision sighted Thor knocking my dad's friend, Silas, with the butt of his gun, and on his left hand was an ax with silver fury.

Silas' daughter wept at the top of her lungs. Alpha Carter's sword was bloody as he thrust the side of a rogue.

The rogues were winning. I heaved when Baldy swung an ax on someone's head and it burst open like a ripe melon.

Blood was a scarlet river flowing on the floor, gushing out of people. The horror intensified with screaming.

Thor was covered in crimson which was not his blood. He gloried in it, laughing insanely. This sick man would never be my mate. I vowed to keep this dirty secret to myself for the rest of my life.

I watched him hold a garrote between both hands and creep forward to Alpha Carter's Beta. The wire caught deep, vanishing into his throat.

The man's face purpled under the relentless assault and strings of saliva rolled down his chin.

I looked around, terrified, hoping my dad wasn't dead. He was nowhere to be found. My heart began beating faster and faster.

Where is my father?

I clenched my fists so tightly that the pain seared inside my hands.

Alpha Carter's face looked like a bloody porridge and he yelled at us to shift into our wolf and run through the other wing.

Thor turned around, his gaze locking on mine with a strange longing, and at the same time, I gasped in horror at my brother's bloody hand.

"Nolan!"

"Adora, obey the Alpha and run!"

I shifted into my puppy-like wolf form without question, running into freedom and away from my murderous mate.

As soon as my feet touched the soil in my pack, I rushed into Nolan's good arm, shivering like a newborn.

He held me close against his broad chest and rubbed my back until my teeth stopped chattering.

“It feels weird hugging you, egghead,” Nolan cracked a joke, despite the pain he must be feeling.

I shut my eyes from the torturous memory of the rogues and scanned the surroundings, relieved we were safe. Nolan’s bleeding hand worried me. It painted his brown pants a savage red.

"Your blood is everywhere. We need to get you home"

"I'll heal in no time. Let's worry about you. Are you okay? Did they touch you?"

The concern in his heart made warmth expand through my chest. I assured him I was fine. How in this world could I tell anyone that a monster was my mate? I could get ostracized from the pack.

"Thank you for coming through, Nol,” I whimpered. “For once, you proved not to be a lazy bum”

My jumbled thoughts flashed back to the fight. I stopped mid-stride, remembering that my dad should have been the one fighting for me and not my brother.

"Where's dad?" I asked Nolan, feeling a tightness in my chest and knowing that I wasn't going to like this response.

Nolan looked away, thinking of the perfect lie.

"Um..he was kinda busy. What matters is that you are alive and out of that place,” he said in a rush, trying to distract me.

My stomach hardened and I wore a tight smile. "So you are the martyr now?”

"Adora don't ruin your mood, please-”

I broke into a bitter laugh. "What the fuck do you mean by ruining my mood? Every chance he gets, he makes me feel so worthless.”

Nolan remained silent until we got home. I walked into the kitchen, where my mom almost collided with me.

"Oh my goodness, my love. I'm so happy you're back," her eyes roamed all over my body, searching for any injury.

"Mom, I'm fine," I replied flatly. My grandmother, who had an arthritic fit, struggled to come downstairs. But when she did, her teary eyes met mine, and she gave me a lasting hug.

My dad walked out, standing aloof with a blank, layered look.

"I'm glad you're home, Adora. But you should have listened to me and stayed home. Well, unless you have found your mate, which I highly doubt."

I couldn't believe the audacity of this man. He sounded so unremorseful. I gave him a hostile glare with my hands clenched.

“And why didn't you come get me? Other dads fought for their daughters." I asked with a sharp tone.

His expression bordered on mockery, and then he flashed me a look of disdain.

"I had stuff to handle," he said with a dismissive shrug.

"What could be more important than your daughter's safety?" I yelled.

"Marion, you need to watch it," my grandma snapped at him, while my mom stood there helplessly.

"What else do you want me to say, Mother?" He turned to his mom. Tears welled in my eyes. My mom rushed to my side trying to comfort me.

"Darling, please ignore him. Let's go upstairs.”

"This is what you keep doing, Mom?" I said, my voice breaking. “I'll never be good enough for him. If the rogues had killed me, he wouldn't have lifted a brow.”

My mom led me upstairs, pleading with me to forgive my dad. Sometimes I felt like hitting her hard to face reality. She always gave excuses and pardoned my dad - a very toxic attitude.

I didn't get out of bed all weekend. I tossed around, had unnecessary naps, sat on my beanbag chair, and gazed out the window.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

My other mate, the wealthy one, crossed my mind. But whenever I remembered the nasty look he shot at me, my hope dimmed.

The rogue wanted me. Physically, he was more appealing than the rich kid. But appearances alone didn't matter to me. I’d seen enough from my dad to understand that sometimes, there was more to picking a life partner than looks and sexual stamina.

I needed protection. I needed my place in society. I needed a good man.

Associating with a rogue and getting marked by them would be the beginning of my downfall. Alpha Carter hated Thor with a feverish passion.

My life was so messed up, and I needed to fix it.

Monday was my first day in Lunar University. I was supposed to be excited, but all I felt was blankness and a lack of energy.

I headed downstairs to have breakfast. My dad avoided me like the plague, and I did the same. My mom tried to fill the void and ease the awkwardness in the air.

I sat across from them, having toast for breakfast. I watched my dad check his tools and headed to his automobile workshop. He was a proud man who never apologized for his mistakes.

Nolan dropped me off at school. He attended the technical institute which was solely for science and engineering students. University was different from high school and less chaotic.

But most of my classmates attended Lunar University, and we all knew one another because the pack and neighboring packs were close-knit.

Everyone knew about the abduction. I walked in with Morgana and their eyes drank us up, and those who weren't directly involved bombarded the ones who were with questions, wanting to know what happened.

Morgana’s grip tightened around mine."Babes, I'm so sorry I left you and went AWOL. My phone got lost and the security around me was tight."

"It's fine," I hugged her. "I'm glad you're okay and we are safe."

She grabbed my hand, yelling at a swarm of paparazzi who didn't stop asking questions to leave us alone. Alone with her, I longed to tell her about my mates, but I didn't. If I told her about Thor, her dad would find out, and that was asking for trouble.

I headed to my department, business administration, for my first class. Morgana studied Human resource management and her faculty was behind mine.

In class, I sat alone, waiting for the lecturer. A familiar scent filled my nostrils and I jerked my head up, looking ahead quickly.

Damien, my unavailable mate, walked in with an air of confidence around him. He was so good-looking and could pass for a model.

Fuck! He was in my class!

This was good news.

I sent Morgana a quick text, wanting to know more about him.

Turns out that Damien attended elementary school with us but I couldn't place his face. One day, he disappeared with his mom and returned many years later.

When he approached the middle row, I began feeling dizzy. His gaze met mine and held without flinching or looking away.

Damien, my unattainable mate. Damien, the only one who could make me forget Thor and more importantly, the one who could save me from getting bound to the sanctuary.

I swallowed hard, hoping.

For a second, we were trapped in a moment between us before reality crashed down. He walked past me and I blinked back my tears.