Chapter 13
**Kaiden**
I nervously gnaw my lips as I watch the unconscious body on the bed. I clench my trembling fingers and close my eyes. It was my fault.
I should have noticed something was wrong. I should have trusted my instinct. Of course, there is no way someone like the infamous Alpha Hunter wouldn't notify the pack before coming. The moment I felt Mora's distressed, I should have broken down the door. I should have noticed.
I SHOULD HAVE- My gasps became shorter, and I bring my knees into my chest, holding them for dear life. I'm the next Alpha in line. I shouldn't have been careless.
A silent sob wreck through my body threatening to destroy my control. I cover my mouth trying not to disturb Mora. A mental signal sounds in my head and a knock sounds at the door.
I force myself to slow down the rate of my breathing and release my feet back to the ground. "Come in!" I whisper trying to contain myself. Mental breakdown where?
I fight the urge to take in her comforting scent and bawl and scream in front of my mother. I swallow it in and all that remains was my blank face.
My mom walks nervously and wraps her arms around me. "A man shouldn't cry so easily. "
I clear my throat and nod. She brushes my hair off my forehead face stands off to the bedside. She checks the IV and the monitor until she was satisfied.
We stand in a comfortable silence until my mom cleared her throat. "We need to talk. Follow me."
"I can't leave Mora." I whisper urgently, not when she's vulnerable.
She stares at me, shocked that I didn't listen to her as always. She frowns and calls. "Maxwell."
A man materializes next to me, and I struggle to hide my shock. It was the warlock who helped Eros yesterday. I try to shake off my fear. The scary part was, even with my alpha heightened senses, I didn't detect him until he wanted me to. I move closer to Mora protecting her from an invisible threat.
Maxwell mumbles a spell and a barrier appears around the bed. I look at it uneasily.
"Nothing can get in or get out." I look at him with distrust. "Fine. I'll add a calming spell." I look back at Mora and follow my mom to my dad's office. We walk to see my dad leaning his desk restlessly. My mom slides into his chair while Maxwell hovers near the door.
My mom clears and throat said something to my dad through their bonds.
My dad turns his gaze to me and I ignore the Alpha's power. I was too weary, too tired, and too distrustful to care. "We put an inhibition spell on Mora."
I felt my eyelid twitch as I struggle to understand his words. My mom slaps my dad's back and he winces.
"What your dad means to say-"
I blink. "Please tell me you did not put an inhibition spell on Mora's wolf."
"We did it for her own good. " My mom saw my accusing eyes and raises an eyebrow. "After Zamora attacked an Elder, we had to get the pack's trust one way or another. And we did."
"By using a spell meant for hostile wolves and criminals? " My head begins to throb.
"She imbalance the power dynamics in the pack. She easily took down the beta and his daughter. She was a threat." my mom said scrambling for answers, but I couldn't help but take it personally.
It was something that I worked hard to avoid. Being labeled a threat. But who knew how it is?
"It was self-defense." These quiet words hang in the air as my parents that I wasn't taking their side. "They challenged her and she did what any wolf would do. She defended herself. They were just a bunch of cowards who were trying to bully my mate. They only do so because she's different. They fear her because she is more powerful than us." I protest angrily and all the words I kept to myself spewed out.
"Whether they are cowards or not, they are our part of our pack." My dad stands up and walks behind my mother. I felt my hair buzz and waiting for his next move. "It was a compromise between the Elders and me, but, now, I realize it was a mistake."
I snort. Yes, our pack, He says. But I wasn't part of the compromise and neither was my mate.
"She is my mate." I stare pleadingly at my mom. "Although she keeps her thoughts to herself, she always bares her throat to me even though I don't. When she doesn't want to tell me something, she stays silent refusing to tell a lie. She trusts me, mom. How am I supposed to...?" I trail off silently.
How am I supposed to betray her?
(A/N: Baring throat = complete trust)
Luna Black wrang her hands together and swallows with difficulty. "That is why we're here today. Yesterday's attack made us realize that Mora was the target. We need to remove the spell on her, so she can defend herself. That's why we need your help today."
I stare at the windows, dazed. "When were you going to tell me?"
My parents stay quiet, and I almost burst out laughing.
"I'm the next Alpha, but my pack keeps secrets from me. What do you see me as?"
I feel the tension increase in the room and my dad fighting his wolf from submitting me. The corners of my lips rise. I wanted to throw back my head and laugh even harder.
"I do everything you ask of me. I listen. I'm disciplined. I have self-control, but most of all, I follow your orders. It's just a bit funny because I'm the next alpha, and you would think that I would be a part of such an important meeting since it affects the fate of me and my mate." the corners of my lips twitch, and I grin. "Now that you lost control of the situation, you bring into the equation? Why?"
Why must I clean up this mess?
Everyone silently stares at me like I was crazy. My dad's eyes started glowing and I start laughing. "You need me, but guess what? I won't do it. You create this mess without me. Y'all can fix it without me."
I push back my chair and walk up to Maxwell who was standing in my way. I incline my head but he shakes his head.
"Not so fast, Kaiden." My dad growls and I sigh. I keep my back to him and stare at Maxwell. "Zamora won't trust you either when she wakes up." I snort and choke back my bewildered laugh.
"She will."
"She won't." His footsteps approached, and, with each word, he pressures my soul. "Let's say we do it without you, and she wakes up in the middle of it. She's going to be in so much pain that she'll fight. We will have no choice but to reinstate the spell and put her back under. She's going to question everything. Starting with you. Her mate. One more thing Kaiden? Haven't you wonder how we manage to put a spell on her in the first place?"
His words were needling into my heart bit by bit, and my headache became more intense.
Kaiden: "You sure talk a lot."
My dad laughs and the atmosphere became even more dangerous. "Have you ever use your head since you found your mate? Does a wild wolf never try to possess her mate? A werewolf who has been in her wolf form for 12 yrs suddenly finds a mate and never transforms for a week in high school? High school? The hell on earth?"
"Stop it!" My mom cries out and I stayed quiet.
It was true though. I never wondered why Mora didn't shift. I just thought that she didn't want to since the last time wasn't too memorable. But she never shifts once at school? No, she said that she was having fun. but... I glare at Maxwell and he shifts his weight clearly uncomfortable.
But my dad wouldn't stop. "The day after she fought the Elder, the day that she begged you not to leave her," Anger boiled inside me and the lamp in the corner of the door starts looking like a good weapon. "She was in so much pain because of your rejection that she didn't even feel i-Ah!"
I blink at the door and my heart skips a beat. I smile wryly and unclench my fists. So much for being a justice warrior.
In the corner of my eyes, I see my mom spitting out blood and my dad cradling his arm. "You should know when to stop. You're a grown-ass man."
I stand still clenching and unclenching my hands. I knew why my dad told me. It was a power thing. My balls grew too much, so he shifted the blame on me, knowing that it would eat me inside. He wanted me to remember my place.
My mom glares at him and then looks at my back. "Ka-" Maxwell rings starts flashing and his eyes widen.
"The barrier," He said and my heart stops. "Something is trying to break the barrier."
I push him out of my way and sprint to Mora's room. I stop and hold my breath as I watch Mora's wolf snarling and clawing the barrier.
**Mora**
I lay in the corner and rock back and forth. I was trapped. I couldn't get far no matter how much I walked. My shadows seem to laugh at me bringing me back to the same scene over and over. The same red heels step on the carpet, the same little girl chiding her, the same burning carpet.
"Willow, please don't do this!" the woman screams.
"Aww... I'm sorry my dear, but this demon made a deal." Willow smiles sadly.
I was trapped. My chest starts hurting, and I start panting. It was the same thing over and over. This was... What did Kaiden call it again? It was an illusion-no, it was a hallucination.
I grasp my head and cried out for Kaiden. It hurts. A warm feeling spread to my vein and I sigh in relief.
A week without me, and she went from a cuckoo, a masochist, and, now, a wimp. 2 weeks with my mate and all you can do is a kiss? Pathetic!
My head jerks up and my eyes close from the sudden brightness. The room has changed again. I was in a white room with two cages. One of them was made of gold and contain a white wolf with golden eyes. the other cage was rusty and held a little girl with golden eyes shackled to the floor.
"Yes, she is."The little girl said indifferently. "Look at her go. I bet she'll start screaming any minute now."
"Nah, I bet she'll wet herself. The wolf sighs. To think that we're the same person. Disgraceful.
"Disgusting! Is this how I look when I am an adult? Wow, I look a mess. Dry your tears, woman. You are better than this. " The little girl yells shaking her shackles at me.
I frown at these hecklers. This was the little girl who was fighting with the lady in the red heels. I look at the familiar wolf and realize that it was me. But, I was here, and it was there.
What? Never seen a beautiful creature in your life?
"Stop it! Your beauty is majestically terrifying. You'll scare her." The little girl grin. "As you should!"
I look back and forth at the two while they look me up and down. "Why are you there?" I ask myself. my wolf.
'Cause I can't get out? Why don't you ask yourself that?
"Don't play with me! I'm not in the mood." I said grimly.
And you think I am? Forgive me, master. The wolf cries in a mocking tone. It's not like you were caged in this room for a week.
"Are you scared? Why?" The little girl tilts her head. "Because you saw our parents?" I frown at her words. our? "I would have given anything to find them. to hug them. to see them. Nope, you go and lock me here."
"I locked you here?" I frown and stare at the familiar bronze skin, curly hair, and golden eyes.
"Yep. 12 yrs ago!" She chips and point at my wolf. "She's been here for about 2 weeks though. Something about a spell. It's probably a witch or something!" The wolf snorts and high five the little girl. They stare at me as I absorb the information.
I walk closer to the cages and we stare at each other. I bend down in front of them and held out my hands. "I don't know why you're behind bars, but you're me. or a part of me. So, I'll break you out." They stare at me like I was a weirdo.
My mate. Our mate. He doesn't know. The Wolf whisper to me.
"Doesn't know what?" I ask and the little girl pulls my hands distracting me.
"How are you going to break us out? You can't just abracadabra us out of here?" She said playing with my fingers.
I tilt my head. "What? Abracadabra?" The cage around my wolf shimmers and coats my wolf in a golden layer. The little girl's jaw dropped and my wolf walks toward me.
"Who does that? Who has such a stupid phrase in 2006?" The little girl cries out in disbelief.
Yes, bitch! I'm out of here! And girl, It's 2018 now.
"My mom said that bitch is a curse word." The little girl pout in jealousy and I wrap my arms around my wolf.
I could see my wolf rolling her eyes. Says the one who's locked up! What are you gonna do about it-?
"Bitch?!" We all said at the same time and laugh.
"It's a little weird for me!" I said in awe. "Because I never thought that we were a separate being,"
We are not. It's just because Kaiden's parents- She suddenly freezes and looks around. Hold on! I'm too calm. Why am I calm? I should be tearing everything apart, so why the fuck am I calm?
True. Why was I calm? I just saw my parents, and now I am trapped in a room with my wolf and my childhood self. A moment ago, I was terrified of my own shadow. Why the fuck am I calm?
"I know that feeling!" It's the same one when that dick put a spell on me. It's magic!
(A/N: when it has both "" and bold, it's Mora and her wolf talking at the same time and sharing the same mind. When it's just bold, it's either telekinesis btw pack members and mate or, in this case, Mora's wolf.)
Cracks appear around the room and the girl starts crying. My wolf shimmers and disappears leaving behind golden specks of dust on my hands.
"I don't want to be alone anymore. Don't leave me here!" She wraps her arms around me and around the bars trying to leave behind her shackles. "I don't wanna be here. You have to say the words. You have to say the magic words..."
She cries harder mumbling something I couldn't hear. The room starts swimming into the void. She begs me to say it and to remember it. The gold dust shimmers bright and disappears. Say it!
"Code Z."
I wake up with a scream to the startled eyes of my mate with the feeling of being trapped.
***Meanwhile in the living room***
Jade and Eros silently watch Spongebob. They felt the pressure and the tension increase and decrease. Voices rise and fall, but, due to the spell that surrounds the room, no intelligible words could be heard. They wanted to go closer to eavesdrop, but their fear of the Alpha held them back.
Jade silently lays his head on Eros' shoulder.
Jade: It's sure dramatic up there.
Eros brushes a stubborn piece of Jade's hair. Jade smile when Eros didn't push his head away.
Eros: Tell me about it!
Jade rubs his head against his hand.
Jade: Can't you do something about the spell around the room?
Eros: Nope. The high warlock will feel it and we both will be in trouble.
Jade: Tsk. Lame. You were pretty cool yesterday, Eros boy.
Eros stops playing with Jade's hair and yanks it.
Eros: Stop calling me that, depressed boy.
Jade: Ouch! Don't be so mean!
****Ch 13 end***
It's late, but it's the same week.
Got an interview this Saturday! Wish me luck!