Warrick
My heart ached painfully within my chest as I listened to my mate cry.
I held her in my arms for many hours whilst she stayed in hospital. Brooke left a lot of damage on my mate's body.
Her throat was bruised and was finding it painful to talk and as for her face, there was some swelling from where she had thrown her fists.
Brooke was strong, stronger than I had anticipated. And it was affecting Eliza a lot. She expected her best friend to be happy, but instead she tried to kill her.
I felt helpless as she cried in my arms.
My own eyes were starting to sting as her little body shook with sobs and hiccups.
My sweet mate didn't deserve all this pain. She didn't deserve to suffer all the cruelty that the world had thrown at her.
She was the light in my dark life.
"It's okay baby. I'm right here" I whispered into her ear.
Eliza held onto me tighter and nuzzled her face into my chest.
Rezso whimpered in my head as he too saw the state of our broken little mate.
Eliza tried to talk, but I shushed her. Talking would only hurt her more and she needed to relax her throat.
"Alpha? Luna?".
Doctor Daniels walked in and bowed slightly before smiling sadly at the both of us.
"Her wolf has been subsided and she wishes to talk".
Eliza rubbed at her tearful eyes making them red and sore.
Grabbing her hands, I replaced them with my thumb and gently stroked the tears away.
"Thank you, we'll go and visit her".
The doctor shook his head and focused his eyes on Eliza.
"She has asked for Luna to come alone".
A low growl escaped my throat at the thought of my mate going down to the prisons alone. Not after the events with Brooke.
"Absolutely not. I'm not putting her in that compromised position. It's not safe for her and she needs rest with her injuries".
My grip around Eliza tightened wanting to protect her at all costs.
"Alpha, with all respect I believe Brooke and Luna need to have a private chat. There are things that need to be discussed. I can assure you she'll be safe. Brooke is in one of the cells and she is very much herself. Her wolf is caged away in the back of her mind".
Another growl sounded, but I stopped as I felt a delicate hand reach up and touch my cheek.
Staring down at my little mate, I noticed she was staring up at me with watery eyes.
"I'll be okay" she croaked out.
"Eliza" I said, ready to protest.
"Please, I need to speak with her".
Eliza looked up at me pleadingly with her eyes.
How am I supposed to resist those puppy eyes of hers.
"Fine, but I'll be right outside okay".
Eliza nodded and stared back at the doctor.
"I shall go and speak with her".
*************
Eliza
"If you need me, call me and I'll be there" Warrick whispered into my ear.
He cupped my cheeks in his very large hands and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. His lips lingered on my skin and then rested his chin on my head.
I could feel my cheeks heat up as he slowly pulled away.
I had been intimate in the past with Kyle, but only with him. I hardly knew Warrick, but every touch drove my body wild.
"Will do".
Warrick stared me over and ran his thumb across my cheek before reluctantly pulling away.
Taking in a deep breath, I waited for the doctor to unlock the door and gestured for me to step inside.
As I took a step in, the door shut behind me and my body shivered uncontrollably as I walked through the dimly lit dungeons.
"E-Eliza. Is that you?".
Brooke's broken voice called out from down the hallway and I silently followed her voice and quiet cries scared for what I was going to see.
"Brooke" I sighed as I stopped before a large prison cell.
Brooke was huddled in the furthest corner. Her legs and arms were covered in dried blood and one of her legs was cuffed up to a chain that was attached to the wall.
She was shaking profusely and she looked skinny and frail.
"I-I'm so sorry" she sobbed. She could barely breath from her distressed state.
"Why have they chained you up? You don't deserve that".
I wanted to run and demand they unchain her but Brooke shook her head.
"I requested it. It had to be done, for my sake and everyone else's".
Clutching the bars, I sat myself down in front of the cell and leaned my head against the cold metal bars.
"Why?".
Brooke sighed heavily as she stared up at the only window in the room.
"It's my wolf. I have an evil wolf. Most days I can control her, but there are times when I get very distressed, emotional or angry that she takes over without my permission and all hell breaks loose. Eliza, I am truly so sorry. Look at what I did to you".
Brooke had stared over at me and sobbed into her hands. The bruises she left were as clear as day, yet I felt no hatred or anger towards her. She saved me, she saved my mother and it was clear she endured something no-one should have.
"It's okay. I, I know you never meant to hurt me. But I need to know what was my fault".
Brooke shuffled closer towards me and soon enough she was sat in front of the bars. Her eyes were fixated on the bruises around my neck and hung her head low in shame.
"You understand what mates are, right?".
"Kinda".
Brooke couldn't look me in the eyes as she started to explain it to me.
"Every werewolf will have 1 mate in their whole lifetime. They're your soulmate and it's something every wolf looks forward to. However, there are some occasions when it's not all happy. For example if your mate dies before you find them, or sometimes you never find them. Or like me you're sent a horrible mate who gives up the mate bond for evil ways".
"And where is your mate?" I questioned nervously.
"Your Kyle was my mate".
My heart ached painfully within my chest. Kyle, my boyfriend Kyle. But that made no sense.
"I-I don't understand. Why was he with me if you two were mates?".
This was single handedly the most uncomfortable yet heartbreaking conversation I had ever had. I had just discovered that Brooke's mate was my boyfriend for 2 whole years.
"W-We once had a perfect life. We found one another and it was wonderful. I was excited to get married and have little pups of our own. But that all changed when he found your father. He started to get drunk on power and soon enough he became John's second hand man and that meant sacrificing the our mate bond because of his plans. He rejected me but what hurt even more was that he got with you, my best friend".
Tears were welling up in my eyes at another lie being exposed to me. I felt overwhelmed with guilt. I slept with her mate.
"Brooke, I, I'm so-"
"No. Don't. You are not at fault. You were a victim too. He used you as part of the plan. But what hurt more than him rejecting me, was that he still loved having me around. He would show off his affection to you in front of me knowing it would hurt me and my wolf. He was getting off seeing me in pain, but I couldn't say anything".
Brooke was now full on crying. I reached my arm through the bar and wiped away her tears.
"Why didn't you say something?".
Brooke wiped her eyes sore and grabbed my hand in hers.
"Because your father threatened to kill my parents if I told you. Didn't matter anyway as he eventually killed them".
Tears poured down my cheeks hearing more truths about my father.
"I-I killed him Liza. I killed Kyle. I killed my mate".
Brooke collapsed to the ground and cried her heart out. I didn't know much about mates, but they're supposedly your other half. She killed the one man who was her one and only chance at love.
"I-I'm going to die alone and unloved" she sobbed into her hands.
"N-No, you're not. You have me and this whole pack. You saved all of us. You're the reason we're here and everyone loves you. But can't you find another mate?".
Brooke shook her head and held my hand close to her heart.
"No. Wolves only get 1 mate in their lifetime. My wolf blamed you because you had our mate and was in love with him, but what my wolf couldn't understand is that you were a victim in this situation too. You are not to blame. Everything you knew was a lie. You found your mate and I'm so happy for you. I hope that one day you can forgive me and my wolf for hurting you. I'll forever hate myself for that. I'm supposed to protect you and I almost killed you".
"Brooke, I'm so so sorry for what you have endured. You are the strongest and most brave person I know. I promise you that together we will get revenge for what my father has done to you. And please, don't hate yourself. I forgive you and want you to be apart of my life. I'll always have time for you, my protector, my best-friend".
Brooke smiled up at me with tears trailing down her cheeks and let her eyes fall shut. We both rested our heads on the bars and sighed deeply.
"I'm so sorry" she sobbed.
My heart had completely shattered. I couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of emotional trauma she was going through. But I knew that I'd be with her all the way.
*************
"Thank you for escorting me home Doc".
"It's not a problem. Warrick had every intention of taking you back, but something came up".
After Brooke told me everything, we spent ages re-connecting with one another. There were many things she told me about other packs and how the pack works. It made me feel better to see that she was released from the cells and was taken into a hospital room upstairs to be taken care of.
By the time I had left she seemed much happier and was now in a calm state.
"I understand. Is he ok?".
"Yes. He's fine. He's just mind linked me to tell me he's home and waiting for you".
"Okay. Thank you".
The doctor said goodbye to me before walking away and headed back to the hospital.
Walking in to the large building that I now saw as home, I couldn't help but feel guilty.
I now knew all about mates and what things meant to wolves. Nearly all mates saved their virginity for one another so they can share the special experience and Warrick wouldn't get that from me.
Would he be disappointed in me?
"Hey you, I'm sorry for- oh baby, what's wrong?".
Warrick rushed through the hallway and cupped my cheeks.
I didn't even realise I was crying as he stroked away my tears.
"Baby, please. Don't cry. Tell me what the problem is, I can fix it".
That hurt even more. He can't fix it. But if we were mates, I had to tell him otherwise the guilt would eat me up.
"I'm not perfect for you" I mumbled with my eyes glued to the floor.
Warrick had lifted my chin up to try and look into my eyes, but I was too stubborn to look back at him.
"No baby, how can you say that? You're more than perfect for me. I am not worthy of someone so beautiful and perfect as you".
He was too much. I didn't deserve someone like him.
"I can't give you the one thing that mates are supposed to have".
Warrick frowned and tilted his head just like Rezso does.
"Sweetheart".
"Kyle took my virginity, I-I didn't know that he was lying. I'm sorry it won't be"-
"Hey! Hey! Shhhh. Not another word baby. You, have nothing to be sorry for. How could you have known. You knew nothing of this world and thought you were in love. I don't blame you one bit. But I don't want you to beat yourself up over it. I know this may be soon but I have to tell you this. I love you Eliza Carter. I am in love with you and you not being a virgin does not change the way I feel about you. You are my mate, my light, my universe and I will spend every single day treasuring you and keeping you safe. My saviour Luna".
"I-"
Warrick pressed his hand on my lips and shook his head.
"I don't expect you to say it back just because I said it, I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me. When you're ready, you can tell me. For now, I have a surprise for you. Come with me beautiful".
Before I could say another word, Warrick gripped my hand in his and dragged me with him to the living room.
My heart completely stopped.
"You did all this?".
"Yup. All for you. Do you like it?" he asked, his cheeks turning pink as he stared at me nervously.
"Warrick, this is amazing! Thank you".
Warrick had spent time changing up the lounge into one giant blanket fort with a movie on pause and chocolates, 2 steaming boxes of pizza, and popcorn. There were fairy lights everywhere and it looked so cosy.
"Thank you so much!!!"
Hugging Warrick tightly, he chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.
"Anything for you beautiful".