Bronze

Chapter 23

I laughed, though the humor in my voice was lost. 

Define prisoner, I wanted to say. Was I there willingly? Yes. Was I allowed to leave? Not sure.

"Mom," I whispered, seeing no reason to lie to her. "Kane's my-"

The door flew open and smashed against the wall behind it. We jumped apart, both afraid of what would happen if we were caught talking. 

Axel was the first to enter. He grinned at me, popping his knuckles one by one as he stalked my way. Two sets of keys dangled from his leather belt. Their high-pitched clanking pierced my sensitive ears painfully. 

 Next came Markus, coughing as he stepped into the prison. I held my breath, afraid that whatever was coming from his mouth might find its way to me. 

"You look like death," I commented. He stood statue-like in the light from the hallway. With his shoulders still fixed, he turned to glare at me.

"Just a cold," he said, lying. The stool from yesterday didn't leave its place and awaited Markus's return throughout the night. He positioned himself on it, carefully bending his knees and trying not to groan with the strain. 

"Showing your age?" I asked cheekily. The alpha wasn't too amused by my remark, growling at me to be quiet. 

"Tell me," he snarled. "Have you made a decision?"

Looking over at my mother, I saw the sadness in her pale eyes. With her shoulders slumped and her head downcast, she looked more like the shell of the great woman she once was. She wasn't going to save me. She never did. 

Forcing my voice to stay level, I said, "I have. As long as you keep your word and forgo the attack on the Bronze pack, I will mate with you."

Pleased, Markus smiled at me. He clasped his hands together, stood, and proceeded to leave. 

"Wait!" I called.

He stopped and turned over his shoulders. Axel, too, was stunned by my outburst. He eyed me curiously, pinching his lips together in a line. 

"I have a request," I said as I gulped back the fear that was threatening to spill over. Markus's eyebrows rose. "I would like to roam the pack again. Get reacquainted with my friends and the elders."

Even my mother was stunned. What I was asking for was a death wish.

He pondered my request, tapping his bearded chin slowly with his pointer finger. Then, he looked down at me; his gaze reading my every move. One nod. That was all it took for my plan to continue. 

"Derrive will go with you," he mumbled happily. Before I could ask who Derrive was, he turned and left.

Axel stayed behind a minute longer. He was glaring at me, rubbing his healed arm like I had just broken it again. He pointed his stubby finger in my direction, threateningly, then followed his alpha out the door. 

Once we were alone again, my mother scooted over to the bars and whispered to me.

"What are you thinking!" She demanded sternly. "If you try anything, Markus will have you killed."

"I just want to see the pack, Mom," I replied with an eye roll she couldn't see. 

She sighed, resting her head against the bars. I wanted to reach my hand out and comfort her, but my pride stopped me before I could even move a muscle.

"Will you look for Sophie?" she asked actually sounding curious.

"I need to make sure she's okay. Unlike you, I care about the wellbeing of your daughter." I spat the last part as if it were acid in my mouth. She gasped in horror, but I pulled away before she could make a grab at me. 

"We both know," I hissed, "that you never really cared for her. If it wasn't for me, you would have gotten rid of her the first chance you got. So don't pretend that your hurt."

Standing, she made her way over to the other side of the cell. She sat, wiping the floor right before she landed, and then pulled her knees up to her chest. From what I could see in the darkness, she was refusing to face me.

She whimpered to herself, and my heart ached from it. After everything, she was still my mother. She did love me once. 

"You're right. I haven't been the best mother, but I was doing what I thought was right."

I pulled myself up and leaned against the cement wall behind me. I didn't really want to face my family issues right now.

"Mom, I don't want to talk about it," I murmured into the dark. From this far back, I couldn't see her, but I could hear her. She was crying softly, talking to herself like she were the only one in the room. She was good at making me feel guilty.

"I should've taken care of you guys," she said in between sobs. "I thought Markus would take care of us, that's all. I was only thinking about you."

Lier, my wolf growled.

I know, I told her in the calmest manner I could muster. Just relax. She'll settle down in a minute.

And she did after an hour of muttering lies and false promises she had no intentions of keeping.

Before I left with the guards to meet this Derrive, I checked on her one last time. She was asleep, curled up in the corner like a cat. I left knowing she would be okay without me, and that I might never see her again.