Chapter 34 - Breaking Point ColetteMy eyes were swollen shut; Phillip had beaten me to the brink of collapse before stopping. He would allow me to heal enough before he started all over again. We had been in this cycle for what must have been hours now.His knuckles were bloody, a mixture of mine and his blood coating them; the copper smell of blood filled the air. I lay slumped over in the corner of the room. My chains were long forgotten as he sat in a chair across from me, his eyes never leaving me. Even though I couldn't see it, I could feel the way his stare made my skin crawl. But I wasn't the only one feeling the pain of this beating. I got a little satisfaction out of the fact that I knew his face and arms were bleeding, too; my nails had dug into him every time he took a swing. I never stopped fighting. I wouldn't, but I knew I could only hold out so much longer before I passed out from my injuries. My head was a constant pulse, matching the rhythm of my heartbeat. I felt
Chapter 35 - Royalties Zane"So are we just going to ignore the male sitting at your desk or..." Paige said blatantly, clearly not caring who Balor was or how the chain of command worked in his pack. She had a point, though, and I never minded how outspoken Paige was; I actually enjoyed that about her. So, of course, when Balor didn't introduce him when he entered, I knew she was bound to point it out. And whoever he was, he and Balor were close for him to take his seat without Balor batting an eye, which intrigued me a little. But, of course, I was focusing on finding my mate and didn't care to know, not now, but I wasn't going to correct Paige for her outburst either. There was no point.Lincoln coughed out a laugh, and the male's eyes lit up with a crazed look. Balor looked at Paige, his eyes assessing her. The corner of his mouth tipped upwards, like her lack of formalities amused him instead of offended, and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that. Everything about the Bloods
Chapter 36 - A BlazeColetteEverything hurt. It hurt to breathe; it hurt to speak; it hurt to even open my eyes.How long had I been here now? Was it two days, three, maybe even a week since I was taken?My mind was a jumbled mess from the continued beatings Phillip bestowed on me every time I healed enough. He even brought a little bit of wolfsbane to inject into me now and then. Not enough to drown out Visha and my abilities, but enough to stop me from shifting. But no matter how much wolfsbane he put in my veins or how many times he beat me, I made sure I never made it easy for him, even though that reluctance to submit got me into my current situation. My hands chained and hung above my head, and my feet tied down, I didn't stop.He was a coward, and I knew my words would eventually get to him if they hadn't already. I was around people like him long enough in my life to understand what made them tick. "I can't wait to rip him to shreds." Visha snarled. "I couldn't agree more.
Chapter 37 - Safe ColetteI grunted as my body connected with the hardwood floor, the water dripping from my clothes, already forming a small puddle around me. My hair stuck to my face as I looked up at the stage, my body still shaking from the cold that had seeped its way into my bones.Carter was sitting in a chair he had deemed to be his throne as if he was some sort of king. As if this was a palace and he was the ruler of his own little kingdom. But Carter was no king; the very empire he believed he ruled was crumbling beneath his feet, just waiting for a storm to sweep in and wash it all away. Carter didn't realize it yet, his arrogance keeping him blind, but he had brought his own demise to his front door. Though I knew I wasn't the only storm coming this way, I was the one who that had opened the floodgates, and if I did this right, all the people in his false kingdom would soon abandon ship when they saw their chance to gain freedom at last.Because what Carter failed to see,
Chapter 38 - Tricks Zane The relief I felt holding Colette against my chest was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was like a part of my soul had been ripped out when she was taken. But now, with her here, safe, I could breathe again.I held Colette tightly against me, allowing myself this tiny moment of peace. My cheek pressed onto the top of her head, and the smell of black cherries mixed with damp earth and blood filled my nose. The reality of why she smelt like blood was all it took to rip me back into the present. And as I reluctantly released Colette, my eyes found Carter. The bastard was still wrapped in vines Balor had conjured out of thin air to trap him.I wondered what Colette thought of all of this. Or if she even noticed what was happening around us before I pulled her into my arms. "You, liar. You fucking liar, I'm going to kill you." Carter shouted at Phillip, Balor's deranged uncle. Phillip ignored Carter as he continued to throw threats at him; his
Chapter 39 - HomeColetteI felt like I was watching myself as I moved down the hall from Carter's office toward the amphitheatre. My body was still in shock, unable to tell whether this was a dream or reality. I probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference for some time. Everything since being brought to Zane's pack, my pack, I had to remind myself continuously, to what I had endured while being back at the Silvermoon pack had felt like a dream. Cliff had Claire with him, and we used her to link Cynthia after I used the last of my energy to heal her. The Luna of the pack agreed to meet us right away without hesitation. And as we entered the now full room, I could see why. She had a new look about her, not one of someone who had just lost of mate but of someone who just regained a sort of freedom. The kind of freedom I was now feeling myself, now that Carter was dead and I had Zane and the others at my side.All eyes were on us as we made our way to the stage. Amelia sat beside h
Chapter 40 - Fuck TraditionZane I stared at the male sitting in front of me. I didn't want to be here right now; I wanted to be back in bed with Colette. But I wasn't. I was here, and the longer I was here, the more irritated I found myself becoming.Colette encouraged me to leave, saying she needed to get cleaned up and ready for doctor Peterson's visit, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking of her body against mine. The feel of her soft skin as I ran my hands up her bare thigh. I cleared my throat, blinking away the thoughts, trying to stay focused on the task at hand. But my wondering mind now had my dick straining against my jeans and my patience evaporating. "What I don't understand, Kyle, is why you weren't there. You are constantly MIA when you are needed. You are always avoiding your father when you should be by his side training for the position of Beta." I stated, leaning forward and placing my elbows on my desk. Kyle straightened in his seat, his hands slightly shak
Chapter 41 - Choose meColette When Zane said we needed to talk, I had a few ideas about what, and I didn't know what I would say or how I felt about it. So all morning, I thought about worried about our meeting, waiting for Zane to come for me and have that conversation in his office. But when Cliff showed up to my room and told me to follow him, after Doctor Peterson had looked me over and given me the okay to return to my usual daily activities. I was shocked when we ended up in the garage; I didn't think Zane wanted to take me out on his bike to have this conversation. My blood filled with adrenaline when I spotted the black motorcycle and the two helmets perched on the seat; it looked expensive and beautiful, making me more nervous, especially since I had never been on one before. "Put these on," Cliff said, handing me some boots to replace the flats I had worn. I didn't argue as I slid on a pair of socks and then the boots. "I moved it, so it was easy for you both to get on.