Chapter 19

As Anthony left his car and approached the pack house, his eyes turned white. His father's presence was immediately apparent from the smell inside.

Samuel stood there, awaiting his son's arrival. Because Anthony knew his father was up to no good, he and Beta Miles were going to follow, but Samuel stopped Miles, by using his alpha dominance to force Beta Miles to obey and stay. Proceeding down the hall to the room beneath the packhouse, the two guards opened the door for them, then closed it, soundproofing the room. Reaching the ground floor, two guards seized Anthony, tore off his shirt, leaving his chest bare. The guards wore gloves before handling the silver chain, which they then placed on Anthony's wrist and neck. This torture only occurs once the silver makes him vulnerable.

“Let me be clear: I am asking this only once. I wonder who that woman was that came into the packing house.”

Dad, I can't believe you let Noah bring that she-wolf into the packhouse all the time without a second thought. So, he impregnated someone, and you swept it under the rug, right?

"Why did you say that?" Samuel asked.

“Father, the pack's been talking about this, and even the neighbor’s packs know. You don't think everything you hid will come to light, revealing it back to the Lycan King?"

With each lash of the sliver whip, a sickening sound echoed as it tore into Anthony's flesh, the crimson stain of blood and the embedded slivers a testament to his father’s fury. Samuel's cover-up of Noah's crimes was unraveling as whispers turned into open accusations within the pack. He wants information about the woman Anthony brought to the packhouse, questioning her identity since their last encounter where she claimed to be Kathy, his girlfriend—a dubious assertion suggesting a casual relationship. The slightest sliver is burning Anthony's skin, fueling his rage. All Anthony worries about is his hospitalized partner, Kathy, who is fortunate not to share his suffering.

Kathy is on the hospital floor, feeling a burning sensation as she tries to stand. The cool floor offers little relief from the heat. Kathy remembered experiencing this before, and she knows that only a cold shower will provide relief. The heat left her body as she started to turn on the shower; she sat up, resting against the cool wall, and contemplated. Suddenly, symbols started to appear on her right arm and hand, which was unexpected. Kathy thought she needed some kind of water power to test it; she pulled water from the toilet, made it into a mirror, and freaked out. Give it a quick test.

“Show me Anthony,”

Kathy witnessed Anthony being chained up, with blood and sweat covering him, as he mirrored the movements of his father whipping him in punishment. She's struggling to recall why Anthony got into trouble—it was because he shouldn't have brought her to what Miles called the packhouse. She questioned whether it could record sound.

“Please, let me hear it.”

The water mirror rippled with each word Samuel shouted at his son for not having a mate. He's not going to be the next alpha; it's his brother. Kathy knew she had to reach him and prevent his father from killing Anthony. Even with a broken wrist, she gave it one more try as she rose from the floor.

“Please take me to him; I need your help.”

Although the reflective water looked like a portal, Kathy was afraid to enter. However, to save him, she had to step through it, finding herself on an unfamiliar side. The portal sealed, and the water formed a sphere.

"Lead me to him."

Kathy ran after the fast-moving ball, her weak legs struggling to keep up. It stopped at a door; she reached for the handle, opened it, and felt the cool air as the water balloon rolled downstairs. Kathy had no option but to obey and shut the door. Every step down the stairs felt precarious; she feared a fall. Then, screams pierced the air, and the metallic scent of blood filled her nostrils. As she turned the corner, she saw Anthony father’s Samuel sitting in his chair, his gloved hands resting in his lap. Anthony must be in pain while on his knees, as he kicked something that made a sound.

"Who is there?" questioned Samuel.

With Anthony looking up, Kathy had no option but to leave the shadows and step into the light. Anthony was surprised she isn't in the hospital.

"Why are you here?" Anthony groaned, clutching chain.

“You say you will come back to me,” she whispered, the words hanging heavy in the still air.

“I forgot about that, you see I am all tie up with my father right now. Won’t you go back upstairs I will meet you there,”

Kathy remained rooted to the spot until Samuel, towering over her, finally approached. She lifted her head, their eyes locking – his golden gaze intense against her blue – until Anthony's voice broke the spell.

"Please, Father," the words choked him, "don't hurt her. She is my mate,”

“Mate you say. Yes, she possesses a breathtaking beauty that is both youthful and radiant. I believe your brother would find her company enjoyable, and she is also a virgin.”

“Please, Father,” Anthony choked out, the words laced with desperate fury, “I will never forgive you for doing that to her.”

“Son, you didn't have intercourse with her. How can you be sure that she is your mate? Your bond hasn’t been fully complete,”

A shiver ran down Kathy's spine as the hair on her arms stood on end; despite the unsettling feeling, she knew she had to help Anthony, her mate, as he had explained that no other male couldn’t claim her. In the sterile hospital room, she felt a sharp, searing pain radiating through her chest, a pain that mirrored his own. Kathy, fueled by adrenaline, ran to Anthony and dropped to one knee, her heart pounding, as his white eyes stared down at her.

“I'll always be there for you, whatever happens. Anthony, I love you.”

Kathy passionately kisses him as the guards stand aside, giving Samuel the signal to remove the chain, which they promptly do. Anthony then feels his hand freed and immediately wraps his arm around her, pulling her closer to him. He felt Kathy's warmth through her hand on his face; her ocean-blue eyes, smiling, met his green ones for the first time in years. He'd found his mate.

“Your beauty is captivating. I loved you from the moment I knew you were my soulmate.”

As Anthony felt his wound heal, the searing pain and burning sensation from the sliver vanished, replaced by the welcome sound of Max's voice. He gave her a fleeting kiss, barely brushing her lips. As Samuel and his guards made their way upstairs, the couple watched them disappear, the sound of their footsteps fading into the distance. Of course you can’t destroy the mate-bond, Samuel thinks, wishing Anthony could be a better man than he is; the weight of that hope feels heavy in his chest.