Among the Trees

Chapter 21 - Hideous Truths

"Lily this a life we're talking about, not the end of the world." Lee brushed fallen strands of hair from my face and I wanted to cry all over again. He was being so kind and gentle. I couldn't tell him what I'd seen, I couldn't break his heart like that. Not when I'd only just learnt how much he meant to me.

"I'm mother material Lee. I'm a mess half the time." I paused to keep myself from crying and closed my eyes tightly.

"What aren't you telling me Lil? What did you see?" I couldn't keep the tears back anymore.  They rolled mercilessly down my face like a river over a cliffs edge. I had nothing left to fight for. My dignity had been taken not once, but twice; what else did I have left to lose?

"Lily if there is something wrong with our child I have a right to know." He didn't once raise it his voice, which made what I had to tell so much harder. "Lily I know you will be a wonderful mother. I mean you've already taken on one child, the only difference will be that this one will be ours." It looked as though he might continue until he saw the tears gaining speed and amount.

"Please stop. Please Lee don't say anything else. My heart can't take anymore." I shied away as he reached out to touch my face. "It's not yours."  My voice hitched in my throat. Lee's face turned ashen and I had no way to comfort him. "He took it from me and I couldn't even fight, Lee."

"Then his pack will know of his treachery."

"No." For a moment Lee looked at me with an angry confusion. "No. No one else can know. I will not be pitied. And this child is not mine." His anger turned to heartbreak. "No one is to hear of this. As far as anyone is concerned, this child is yours, and when it's born, it'll be stillborn and no one will see it."

"Lily." Lee shook his head, tears glistening in his own eyes. "Please don't do this. Don't fall backwards into that despair. I'm begging you." I stood up from the bed and headed to the door.

"Nothing good ever lasts. I don't get a happy ending." I left him sat alone on the bed. I had places to go and people to confront.

I walked past the splintered door and right into the pub. Everyone seemed to be gathered in one place. All their backs were to me and so went unseen. A head of the crowd were three people. In the centre stood Adam, with his great uncle stood on his left, standing like a general in an army. On his right, with her neck in his grasp once again was his great aunt. Gracie.

"I told each and everyone of you, I'm not soft like my father was. I will not accept failures." His smile was sinister as he looked over his followers. "Let me show you the price of failure." With a flick of his wrist and a horrific snap, Gracie fell in a head on the floor.

"But she didn't fail you. Did she?" My voice rang out before I'd even realised I'd spoken. The crowd split to reveal me to Adam. "She paid a great price for you to get what wanted. And you had to taken because it wasn't given." Tears threatened to overflow again but I managed to hold myself.  "But I suppose you 'pack' should know just what kind of monster you are. You stole your Beta's mate to break my heart, you stole my dignity the way your father used to, and now? Now you kill the only person who could have even begun to consider giving you redemption." Not a word of the child was spoken. Gracie's words still rang in my ears. 'He must never know about the child that you carry. He will destroy you both'

"Anyone who wishes to change alliance now they know how treacherous their leader is, is welcome to. But the offer is for a limited time only. Join me by midnight and you'll be forgiven. Don't join me and you best hope your 'alpha' is strong enough to kill the only thing he's ever wanted."