Chapter 5
It had been 12 hours since they took Annie away. Caden didn’t want to talk to anyone as he walked away to find some alone time to think over what happened. The time he returned, Charlotte was curled up in a small ball, still crying her eyes out. Caden couldn’t take it anymore and walked towards his twin.
“Char!” He pulled her closer but Char couldn't even bare to stand beside him as she pushed him away from her and hugged herself tightly.
“Get lost, you monster.” She yelled at him, tears rolling down her eyes. Caden was shocked for the amount of hatred her voice held.
“Charlotte.” He tried again but she shook her head.
“You are a monster. A selfish monster. She helped in finding your chosen and you sent her back to her hell.” Char sneered at him.
Caden was confused when he heard about his chosen and he looked at her for answers but before he could question her, Cole’s voice rung through the door,
“Where is Annie? She doesn’t have to go now.”
He looked so happy as he looked around for Annie but then his gaze settled on Charlotte’s tears stricken face and his heart skipped a beat but he didn’t want to assume worse.
Char, for the first time from last night, felt solace as she ran towards Cole hugging him tighter. She started sobbing in his chest.
“What’s going on? Why are you crying? Where is Ann?” He looked up at Caden who for the first time looked guilty.
“God damn it, tell me where is she?” Cole yelled loudly.
All the pack members surrounded them including Maia who was sniffling in her hanky. She felt so hurt and bad when she realized what Cade did; he rejected his own mate for her. She was so heartbroken when she found out and tried to confront him but he left without answering. She told Caden that he wasn’t the one she fell in love with, he changed into some different person because the Caden she knew would have never done such a horrible thing.
“He sent her away. With those men, her old pack. They hurt her, Cole, they fucking hurt her.” Charlotte cried loudly while explaining.
Cole’s hands dropped by his side as he looked at his alpha who was watching them with no expressions. Cole stepped back as few tears rolled down his eyes and he said,
“You broke her, you fucking broke her. They will kill her.”
Caden’s wolf didn’t like the disrespect and he growled but his human said, “She murdered her own mother.”
Cole shook his head, “How can you believe them? How? She was the most innocent and pure person I have ever seen. She didn’t kill her mother; she was just saving everyone from heartbreak. But no you were so blindly in love with your chosen; you didn’t even see the pain that was present in the eyes of your destined. If she was mine, I would have treasured her, cherished her, and made sure that she would get all happiness she deserved but you hurt her.”
“Beta Cole!” An elderly woman entered the pack house as she took in the entire scene that was being unfolded but then she turned towards Cole and asked,
“Where is my daughter? Where is Annie?”
Everyone gasped loudly and looked at her with wide eyes. Caden was shocked and his face reflected the emotion as well.
“What’s happening? Please tell me that my baby girl is safe.” Annie’s mother cried.
Hesitantly Cole explained everything and she fell on the ground. He told about Annie’s abuse and everything she went through. Caden felt so guilty that he wanted to run towards Alpha Ryan’s pack to get his mate back but before that he had to hear everything.
“I should have never left. If I knew they were going to hurt her and blame her, I would have never left. My Annie doesn’t deserve what they did to her. She was always kind and soft hearted and often people mistaken it for her weakness. She was never weak; she just connected with people on every platform, a true Luna!” She wiped her face and looked at Cole, “They always treated her like a black sheep of the pack but she never complained, always tried to forgive them. She always wanted to meet her mate, she used to talk about it how she was going to take care of everyone, love and protect her whole family but my baby was so unfortunate. I can’t believe Alaric would do that. She was his princess, he loved her so much.” Cole walked towards the woman and hugged her gently.
“I shouldn’t have left but I was in love and promised my husband that I would never return to that pack. I’m so sorry.” She cried and sobbed loudly.
“You selfish bastard! Now you believe her?” Char yelled at Caden who was stunned with all the revelations but Char continued, “Do you know she stayed in our pack to find your chosen? She was the one who deciphered all the information to find Maia and her baby all because she wanted to see you happy even though you wanted her dead.”
Caden fell on his knees, his head rested in his palms as he took in all the information. His mate helped him in finding his chosen with only a pure motive. He destroyed her dreams, beliefs and mainly he destroyed her. He couldn’t believe what he did in a fit of rage. Was he so madly engrossed in someone, that he didn’t see the light in front of him?
Cole pulled Annie’s mother up and looked towards his warriors,
“We need to go to Alpha Ryan’s pack to get Annie back.” her mother nodded and wiped her tears.
Cole continued looking at others, “Whoever is coming with me, I want to tell you, it may come to war but I’m going to bring Annie back even it means death. I want her back and alpha,” he turned towards Caden and said with emotionless voice,
“If you are not accepting her back in this pack, I would step down as your Beta and go rogue with her if it comes to that.”
he was about to move when he was tackled to the ground by Caden himself as he growled loudly in Cole’s face,
“My mate!”
Cole pushed him away with all his might and chuckled humorlessly, “You should have thought about it before you rejected her.”
Caden whimpered, the big bad ruthless alpha whimpered at the statement.
By now everyone was outside piling into cars while others shifted into wolf forms. Cole started the car; Char and Annie’s mother were with him and drove towards Alpha Ryan’s territory and that’s when Caden’s black SUV cut their path, driving in the front leading them all like a true alpha would.
Cole smiled softly knowing Caden had realized his mistake but he was hoping that it wasn’t late. Annie would be okay till they reach there but he was so wrong.
They pushed her in one of the prison. Everything was dark but Annie could smell blood and dirt around. She was scared but was hoping that they would finish her swiftly but how wrong she was! Alpha Ryan entered her cell and gave her a hateful look. Annie swallowed the lump that was formed in her throat as she gazed at her father, the one who loved her the most, protected her from everyone and stayed by her side. But now he was nothing but a monster. A tear rolled down her eye but she wiped it.
“Tie her!” he yelled at the guards and they came inside and dragged her to the middle of the room.
She struggled in their arms but they were buff and stronger than her and in next few minutes her hands were tied to the ropes. She looked at her father who brought out a whip. Annie’s heart accelerated as she shook her head.
“Daddy….” But he cut her off with first swipe.
A scream escaped her lips as a searing pain went through her back. But it didn’t stop him as he kept hitting her till her back wasn’t covered with blood.
After half an hour he stopped and threw her on the ground again. Annie was numb. All she could think was what she did wrong to deserve such a punishment. But the torture didn’t stop there as another wave of burning pain hit her as she felt wolf’s bane on her wounds.
Alpha Ryan had smug look when he saw Annie’s suffering.
She felt her wolf slowly slipping away and knew at least she was safe from all the pain. They left her alone for hours before they came back again but this time it was worse.
She saw her older brothers and sister with her cousins standing by the cell. Something went through her brother’s mind but he masked it with anger; Anger towards the girl who took away their mother, who ruined a family, who was a disgrace to their pack. Alpha Ryan entered with a glass in his hand.
Annie could see that this was it. They were finally going to end her suffering, to kill her, to finally send her to safe place where no one could hurt her again. She closed her eyes tightly remembering all happy moments but,
“Annie, it’s over. Just tell us why did you kill mom?” Samuel, her brother asked.
Annie didn’t say anything. She couldn't break her promise, she didn't want her mom to lose whatever she had gained in all those years. Alpha Ryan huffed and pushed everyone away, stalking towards her. He grabbed her hair and made her look at him,
“Listen here bitch, and listen carefully. You killed my mate, my other half. I don’t care if you’re my daughter. I’m going to make sure you suffer and die slowly. You deserve more punishment than this but I guess this silver will be enough to make you feel pain.”
And he showed her the glass which had melted silver in it. Annie looked up at her father, how can he be so cruel? How can he hurt his daughter…..?
“This is going to kill you slowly and painfully.”
And not waiting for anyone he put the cup to Annie’s mouth and made her swallow the poisonous silver.
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End is near! Only one chapter to go and then 'Embrace my Heart' will be done.
Hope you liked the chapter.
Thank you :)